The Jedi Change
by AniKenobi
Summary: AU. Anakin begets a new direction for the Jedi Order that includes the acceptance of romantic attachments, cultivation of a Jedibloodline, the birth of the New Jedi Order in Luke and Leia, and a wedding for ObiWan Kenobi and Siri Tachi.
1. Confession of a Jedi

**The Jedi Change**

**_Disclaimer: I am, regrettably, not at all affiliated with Lucasfilm, Lucasbooks, or any other entity of the _Star Wars_ enterprise. _StarWars_ characters belong only to George Lucas. The character of Siri Tachi belongs to Jude Watson._**

_**Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**_

Chapter One-Confession of a Jedi

"Obi-Wan."

Siri kept the door close to her, neither smiling nor welcoming.

He would have to ask, and that hurt him. "May I come in?"

"Obi-Wan, it's late. I have been asked to speak before the Senate along with Masters Windu and Yoda very early in the morning. I'm exhausted. I do not want to fight with you any more."

"I am here to apologize," he told her softly. "I made an incredible assumption yesterday that was not only offensive but without base. I should have known better. I _do_ know better. I have no excuse. Please forgive me."

Her expression told him that she had already done that. She gave him a short nod and replied, "Of course."

Siri gripped the lapels of her night rail tighter and cleared her throat. "Good night, Obi-Wan."

He put his hand on the door to stop her from closing it. "Siri, please? You are my best friend. Please let me talk to you."

They stared at each other for a moment before she, hesitatingly, allowed him entry.

Anakin's presence still resonated throughout the sparse but cozy apartment. It was a tangible energy that permeated the air, even after nearly a day. Images immediately flooded the Jedi master, and he fought to squelch them.

Obi-Wan could see them clearly. Siri had touched his former padawan with wondrous tenderness. Her lips had skimmed his brow. Anakin leaned into her embrace, his arms twining around her small waist. His face burrowed closer into the sweet spot on her neck, his breath on her ear. She held him tighter and wept.

"Stop it."

Obi-Wan sighed. "The Force is so strong in the two of you."

"And you are reaching into it," Siri protested, terribly hurt. "There is nothing going on between me and Anakin. You've learned so much today. You know everything that man has been through and why. How can you still--?"

"I don't think…Siri," he breathed. "It's too much. It is all so…unbelievable."

He looked at her, into her lovely green eyes, and was lost. "Palpatine is the Sith lord we have sensed, and he was right under our noses for years. He has spent the last decade and more plotting the destruction of the Jedi Order. He arranged for the creation of the Clones, the fog of war, and the cultivation of apprentices to do his bidding. Then, there is Anakin."

Siri placed a hand on his arm. "I know it's a lot to take in at once, but you have to be mindful."

"Did you know?" he asked her simply. "Did you know that Anakin and Padmé had—"

She swallowed. "Yes."

He virtually collapsed onto her sofa, her falling sweetly beside him.

Obi-Wan nodded. That was the connection. That was the thread that held Anakin and Siri closer than the already tender bond they shared. He continued to be astounded at the realization that they had both managed to keep such an overwhelming secret from him. He could not have been more surprised had they announced that not only was Anakin married, but he had married Siri!

"Were that the case, no one would have been more surprised than I," she told him, bringing his attention back to her.

He smiled, but it was sad. Soberly, he spoke again. "I think he had tried to tell me many times."

"Obi-Wan," she softly began, taking his hand. "You did know. You felt it. I know you did. Anakin once told me he suspected you knew; you simply chose to ignore it. He felt that you were trying to protect him, so you never brought it up."

Siri stroked the lines of his palm with her fingertip. She didn't seem to be aware of it as she continued. "I think because you knew of his childhood and what his mother's death did to him, something inside you demanded that he be allowed the one thing that gave him great happiness."

"Padmé," he whispered.

Her eyes met his. "Padmé."

Her palm settled on his. "Did you sense it as well? Is that how…"

She had the grace to blush. "I officiated the ceremony."

_Of course you did_, he thought and twined his fingers between hers. The action startled her a little, but she relaxed in his grasp. "Tell me about it."

A lovely blonde brow arched. "The wedding?"

"'Tis only fair considering I was not invited," he groused quietly, making her smile again. "I was his Master. Since we cannot go back to that day, I would like to hear the details from you. If you are willing."

"Are you certain you have time for this? Are you not also to testify—"

"Concentrate on the here and now, Mistress Tachi," he told her. "Tomorrow duty shall take care of itself."

That stunned her. It was something their beloved Master Qui Gon constantly admonished them. She wet her lips, nervously.

Siri thought to herself that for the first time in a long while she had an opportunity to regain her spirit. She had spent many years longing to banter with Kenobi as they had in their youth, before the conflict within her heart bespoke her need to be free of the Order. Before the desire to possess him had made her leave.

The Jedi Order consisted of rules that required strict adherence. Their ways were dedicated to the sacrifice of self for the good of all. It was a life that demanded dedication and boundless faith in something, an essence that could neither been seen or touched, to promote a better quality of life. They were a service to every living being throughout the galaxy, a resolute embodiment of peace and reverence.

They deserved loyalty, but for Siri Tachi, there was a difference between allegiance to the Jedi Order and fidelity to the Force. They were not one in the same. It had pained her to leave. They were the only family she had ever known. Yet, it would not have been fair to remain while she harbored such resentment of their dictates against romantic love, for she had loved Obi-Wan Kenobi. She didn't know if it was their time with Taly or if it had been from the first day they met. She only knew that it was true, and it was torturous. She could not be a Jedi and be in love with Obi-Wan.

So she left.

Siri stood abruptly and crossed the room to an ornate service cart that had been a housewarming gift from Padmé. It was lovely in its simplicity and function. She had not known how to react when it was presented. She still wasn't quite used to owning things and calling them hers.

She cleared her throat. "Would you like something to drink?"

"It isn't Hoi Broth, is it?"

That her hand shook as she poured tea into a delicate cup irked her immensely. "I have no interest in creating an intergalactic Force-felt allergic reaction this evening, Kenobi. It's Sapir tea."

She turned and held the cup out to him. "Would you like some?"

"Yes," he replied, taking the proffered cup. "Thank you."

Siri poured a cup for herself and took a seat in the chair across from where he sat on her sofa. It made him frown slightly.

"If you would be betraying another confidence, Siri," Obi-Wan said quietly. "You do not have to…"

"It isn't that. Anakin will tell you himself, eventually." She relaxed against the chair. "There really isn't much to tell."

He sipped. "They were wed on Naboo. When he escorted her back after the debacle on Geonosis. You were waiting."

_So he _had_ felt it_. "Yes."

"Had you foreseen it?"

"No. I received an encrypted message on my private COMM link while on my way to Kashyyyk," she told him, crossing her legs. "It was a…hmm. It was a _request_ for my presence on Naboo, an audience with Senator Amidala."

"Padmé contacted you from the skiff."

"No. She and Anakin had already arrived. I was asked not to report my flight plan to Theed but to travel to the lake country and land on a private pad outside a resort villa."

Siri closed her eyes with the memories. "Padmé was alone to greet me. I remember wondering why we were meeting there and suspect at the absence of her loyal guards. I would have asked if something had happened, if she were all right, but I didn't need to. I had never seen her look so…radiant before, Obi-Wan. The tranquility within her was almost palpable. How I had envied that…"

He sighed. "She is usually so controlled with her feelings. It is how no one on the council knew of their marriage. They were both careful to hide it."

"Not that day," Siri smiled. "We walked along the gardens. She was excited, I could tell, and I finally asked her what she needed. She turned to me, luminous, and informed me that she couldn't say until Anakin joined us."

"I imagine he was more than a little reluctant about speaking with you."

"Yes," she reflected. "Not reluctant about the vows he would be taking but the vows he would be _breaking_. I suppose he felt it wrong to ask another Jedi to help him shatter what was essentially a most sacred Jedi oath."

"'A Jedi shall not know love'," quoted Obi-Wan, studying her. Loving her. "They wanted someone they trusted to commit them. They could not ask a member of local clergy to do it. That would have necessitated paperwork, and they could not risk it being leaked to the public."

He sat up straighter. His voice vehement with compassion. "That must have been _agony_ for him, for _both_ of you!"

"It was, Obi-Wan," she replied. "It was terribly difficult for him. It always had been. He wants to be a Jedi, but he loves her. He wants to serve the Republic, but he wants a family of his own. He wasn't the only one in danger. She would have been forced to resign from her office in disgrace."

"What about you, Siri?" He put his cup down on the table beside him and leaned forward. "What did you say when they told you what they had planned?"

In her mind's eye, she saw Anakin looking at her pleadingly.

_"I know I have no right to ask this of you," Anakin told her, earnest and forthright. "I know it is wrong to expect you not only to perform it but to keep it secret from everyone." _

_Humbled, he kneeled at her feet and took her hand. "I can only hope you understand why I must. I love her, Siri. I have never fought it for if I did, I would be denying a part of who I am, of what makes me Anakin Skywalker. She _is_ part of me. She is the _best_ part of me. She is my hope. She is my compassion. She is my heart."_

_Anakin took her hand and pressed it to his heart. "Master, please. She is already my wife. You must know that. A ceremony would only serve to please our need for the words. Please?"_

It brought tears to her eyes then. It did so now.

Siri opened her eyes and saw that Obi-Wan was staring at her, his mouth slightly agape. He was reading her mind.

"How could I deny him, Obi-Wan?" she cried softly, unable to prevent the tears. "I feel no remorse. I was so happy for him. I was so happy for both of them! I made him stand up, and I told them to prepare themselves."

She wiped her stained cheek with the back of her hand. "Soon after we stood on the sunset-drenched, flower-bedecked veranda of a beautiful romantic lakeside villa. It was very solemn and quiet. I had never been prouder in my life. I swear it, Obi-Wan. They recited the vows that joined them together for all eternity. There was no applause, no fanfare, only the whirl and echo of the two droids in attendance. By the authority vested in me as a servant of the Grand Republic and a knight of the Jedi Order, I proclaimed them husband and wife.

It was the absolutely the best moment of my life."

Obi-Wan exhaled the breath he hadn't known he was holding. The vision of it in her memory was…indescribable.

He cleared his throat. "And you turned in your lightsaber shortly after."

She waved off his words. "That had nothing to do with their marriage. That was me. I realized something in that clandestine ceremony that I had been denying for some time. I have no place in the Jedi Order. It is not my destiny as it is yours, and it certainly is not the path that it is Anakin's.

No matter what the council decides for him, Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi. He is the Chosen One. Should they dismiss him from the Order, he will survive, but they will not. Their destinies are intertwined. Should they deny him, everything they are built on will crumble beneath the backlash. The Jedi codes are antiquated. The fear that love and the Jedi path cannot coexist has been decimated."

She stood as though she couldn't remain still a moment longer. "Anakin has more than proved he is the Chosen One. He delivered the prophecy. He has single-handedly destroyed Palpatine and the Sith. He apprehended the Separatists, effectively shutting down the droid army. He stopped the war, all while fending off his own darkness. He let it go, Obi-Wan. When it was time for him to make a decision, when the fate of the galaxy hinged on him releasing his anger, shedding his _hate_…he _did_ it! He let it go. He became one with the Force, and he _let it go_."

Watching passion fire in her eyes, Obi-Wan came to a conclusion.

Siri Tachi was the most extraordinary woman he'd ever known. She did not know of her own courage and seemed genuinely unaware of her strength. She had loved him. She had always loved him, but she had never asked for a solitary thing in return. She had abandoned the only life she knew to spare the Jedi from a distracted knight and he the conflict.

She had never let any of them down. When Anakin needed her support she had given it freely and unflinchingly. When the Jedi were stretched thin across the galaxy fighting the abhorrent Clone Wars, Siri had come charging along to fight beside them.

And when he had held her in his arms on that fateful day in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, she willingly abdicated the influence of her love for him so he could follow his own path. She, a woman of independent capabilities and of soaring spirit, relinquished her own selfish desires so he would not have to leave the Order. To fulfill his destiny.

Siri had done what he never could, and Anakin could only recently.

She had let go.

"Don't look at me like that, Obi-Wan," she implored heatedly.

He was still staring at her. She didn't know what he was thinking.

"You don't know what it was like to conceal what I knew," she tried to explain. "Not just about Anakin and Padmé. The more involved I became in my investigation, the more I saw…"

Obi-Wan stood and stepped closer to her. His tone was gentle when he spoke.

"What did you see, Siri?"

She shook her head. "I can't… I can't tell you."

"Haven't we had enough secrets, Siri?" he asked patiently, his voice a caress. "I don't want any more walls between us. I want us to be able to speak freely. Can you do that? I'd like that."

"So much has changed for me over the last twenty years, Obi-Wan. You wouldn't understand."

"I would like the chance to try." He touched her cheek, and the fact that she fit her cheek into his palm moved him irrevocably.

"I started meditating more when I left the Order," she told him. "I wanted to atone for my weakness with the Force by exercising it. The more I did, the more I saw."

She clasped his wrist tightly, pressing her cheek closer, tears once again in her eyes. "I saw Palpatine. I saw him in his Sith robes. I…I felt his evil, Obi-Wan. He was steeped in it. I felt his hatred, his greed, his lust. He…he was a nightmare I could not wake from."

Siri broke into heartbreaking sobs, and Obi-Wan pulled her into his embrace. He closed his eyes and rocked her against him.

"Tell me, Siri," he said, desperately. "Tell me."

"I could see his thoughts," she cried. "I knew what he was feeling when he felt it. I saw him talking to Nute Gunray. I saw him talking to Anakin. I saw…I saw Order Sixty-Six."

_Order Sixty-Six._ Obi-Wan knew what that was. Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and several other loyalists had found those…interesting…and _diabolical_ flimsiplasts earlier today in what was left of Palpatine…_Lord Sidious'_, bunker in the prairie banks of Outer Coruscant. To call it disturbing was elementary. Order Sixty-Six was Sidious' coup de grace. It called for the utter demolition of the Jedi Order. Those words from the Dark Lord of the Sith would have meant the murder of thousands of Jedi throughout the galaxy. The Jedi would have never seen it coming. They would have been slain by the same troops that had fought beside them these past three years-ambushed on land, blasted on mobiles, or shot out of the sky.

Obi-Wan shuddered and held her closer.

"He meant to kill you. To kill _all of you_!"

Siri tried to get a hold of herself. She wanted to finish this. She needed to if she were to finally rest.

Composed, she stepped away from him. She led him back to the sofa. Their knees touched as they faced each other. He didn't release her, clasping her deceptively delicate hand in both of his.

"Obi-Wan, Palpatine was manipulating Anakin's dreams."

His gaze narrowed. "What?"

"Palpatine planted incomplete visions in Anakin's subconscious in an effort to force his will," she told him, gravely. "Obi-Wan…Anakin did kill Dooku, but…when he did, Dooku was defenseless. Anakin had severed his hands. Palpatine's manipulation of Anakin's thoughts started right then."

The utter soullessness of the act appalled Obi-Wan. "Anakin would have never killed a defenseless man. Even Dooku."

"Palpatine spurred him on, using Anakin's rage and thirst for revenge. He used Dooku's history with Anakin to make Anakin react to his pain."

_How could I not know that?_ Obi-Wan grieved. _How could I have overlooked my padawan's pain? _

"That night, Anakin was with Padmé in her apartments." She looked away briefly, shaking off a memory. She wanted to leave them their privacy. "He had only found out about her pregnancy that afternoon, once they met in the hangar bay of the Senate building. He dreamed, later, that she died in childbirth. It terrified him. He didn't know where she was in the dream. He only knew he wasn't with her, and that she was heartbroken and dying, begging for him.

You know what transpired over the next few days. He grew more bitter with the council about the mastery and what he felt was their insulting disrespect. It made him angry that it seemed you agreed with them. Everything was falling apart. He was under so much stress with the war, the council, his wife. Palpatine.

He was desperate, Obi-Wan. He was scared that he would lose her the way he lost his mother, that she would die and never see their child. Palpatine told him some story about the Sith having the power to conquer death. In Anakin's vulnerability, Palpatine struck. He knew Anakin would do anything to save Padmé. So, he continued his seduction."

Obi-Wan tried to breathe, to calm.

_This is too much._ _Too much!_

"You must listen," she pleaded. "Anakin deserves that, Obi-Wan. You must listen to his story."

"Go on."

Siri sniffled, and leaned her face closer. Their gazes locked and her expression was dire. "Obi-Wan. If Palpatine had succeeded in his scheming, Padmé _would_ have died in childbirth."

She groaned her despair, and Obi-Wan had to press closer to hear, "_Because_ of Anakin."

Obi-Wan gaped at her, rearing sharply back in disbelief.


	2. Looking for Anakin

**The Jedi Change**

**_Disclaimer: I am, regrettably, not at all affiliated with Lucasfilm, Lucasbooks, or any other entity of the _Star Wars_ enterprise. _StarWars_ characters belong only to George Lucas. The character of Siri Tachi belongs to Jude Watson. _**

_**Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**_

Chapter Two-Looking for Anakin

"I am sorry, Senator," the young padawan said. "But I am under strict direction that Knight Skywalker receives no visitors."

It was the third time Padmé had heard that in as many days. Her patience was wearing thin. Her worry was wearing her down. She had not seen her husband since the day the Chancellor died.

Padmé had felt him that afternoon. She knew she had. She had felt his suffering all the way from Temple where he stayed to their apartment where she had stood. He had been trembling with fear. She did not pretend to possess any of the Jedi gifts of empathy, but she knew she could feel him, could _hear_ him, just as sure as the sun rises and sets. She could feel his love for her sweep through her as she never had before, the spirit of it holding her in a beautiful dream-like embrace. She tried reaching out for him, to let him know she was there and always would be. She would never leave him. He would never, _ever,_ lose her. They would be one forever. He would have his family. They would be happy. No one would ever take that from them.

The rumor was that Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi sought. There were whispers in the Senate that he had perpetuated the war, that he had been responsible for all the pain and suffering tearing the galaxy apart for the sole purpose of ruling it. No one as yet was given any explanation for how the Chancellor had passed. Most were consumed with joy and excitement that the war was finally over. The Separatists had surrendered and turned themselves in to the Galactic City authorities, their army completely deactivated.

There was still plenty of work to do. Several systems' governments demanded word of what had transpired. There was already arguments on the Senate floor as to who would take Palpatine's place, many still wary of trusting anyone but their own leaders. Everything was still in turmoil but the heavy mantle of the Dark Side had been shed.

Right now, Padmé Amidala of Naboo could not bring herself to care about the politics. She wanted to see Anakin. She needed to know he was all right. After her first unsuccessful attempt, she had looked for Obi-Wan but was told he had yet to return from Utapau. She had asked for Master Yoda and was told he was sequestered in his meditation chambers and could not be disturbed. Master Windu remained in Med Center recovering from unknown injuries, and she doubted she would get any answers from him anyway.

Padmé took a deep breath and strove for diplomacy.

"I understand your position, and I respect your dedication," She said softly. "It is imperative, however, that I speak with Knight Skywalker. Surely there is some compromise we can reach. I won't be but a moment."

"No, milady. I'm sorry."

Exasperated, she asked, "Can you at least tell me of his condition?"

His brow furrowed. He thought it strange that a senator would take such noted interest in the welfare of a Jedi. "Again, I am sorry, milady. I don't know what you mean."

Padmé realized this was going nowhere. How much did the Jedi know now? Was their secret still safe? The not knowing was tormenting her.

The padawan smiled kindly. He was getting used to the attention Anakin drew. So many people had requested to see Master Ani and had been turned away. He did not know the specifics of what exactly was going on. It was not his place to inquire. His duty was to follow orders.

"You will be able to speak with him after he addresses the senate, milady. That is all I may offer you."

Padmé raised her chin. "Thank you, padawan."

The teen bowed.

Padmé felt the rush of tears sting her eyes and quickly composed herself. She made certain her posture was regal, not dejected, as she crossed the second-floor concourse to the main stairwell of the Jedi Temple. Her steps were slow, her burgeoning belly making it awkward. Several passing Jedi smiled, nodded or bid her good tidings on the way.

She looked below to the Grand Hall. She could see Captain Typho chatting with the dwarf she knew to be the younglings saber instructor. She would require her guard's assistance if she was going to make it down the steps.

"Padmé?"

She turned to see Bail Organa sauntering toward her. She frowned, wondering what he was doing there. "Bail."

He stopped beside her and frowned. "Are you unwell, milady?"

_Yes_, she thought. She smiled wanly. "I'm just a little tired, Bail. Would you be so kind as to help me down?"

"Certainly." He took hold of her hand holding her skirts so she could use the other on the railing. "Should I take you to Med Center, Padmé?"

"I am fine, Bail. With everything going on today, I forgot to eat breakfast. That's all."

"Yes, well, we've all had a lot to think about. There is much work that needs to be done."

"Yes."

"Do not collapse on us today, Padmé. The Republic needs to know the reasonable voice in the Senate is there for them."

"Please don't lecture me now, Bail," she chided. She sighed. "You know why I'm here?"

He said nothing for a moment, his gaze ahead of them. "The same reason I am. I was hoping to speak with Commander Skywalker. It appears he is in some sort of…confinement."

Padmé gasped, stopping to look up at her colleague and friend. "They have imprisoned him?"

His grip on her hand tightened a little, and he gently led her along. "I am not certain. No one will tell me anything. I tried to get in to see Master Yoda but…"

"He's in meditation," she finished, her active imagination picturing her beloved husband caged in a dingy room somewhere, his hands and feet manacled.

_Oh, why won't they tell me anything!_

"Try not to fret, Padmé." Bail smiled at her with sympathy. "If there is any truth to the gossip, Anakin is probably meditating as well."

_You don't understand, Bail. He would never remain at Temple for that. He would be home. With me._

"I am surprised they allowed either of us entry," he professed. "I would have thought the Jedi would be mobilizing a search for any followers of Palpatine."

"You have heard more about what the chancellor had planned then?"

He looked away from her again, and she knew he was hiding something. "I cannot say, Padmé. Not yet. Master Yoda advised me to wait until this afternoon's session."

She nodded her frustration.

He did tell her, "Commander Cody reports that there is still no word on the whereabouts of Mas Amedda and Sly Moore. I suspect that they will hide like the cowards they are for some time to come. I fear our only…"

A contraction speared across Padmé's abdomen hard enough to have her grip the rail, her breath whooshing out. Bail immediately caught hold of her.

"You are _not_ all right," he hissed with concern.

"Milady!" she heard Captain Typho call. His footsteps were heavy and fast up the steps. "What's happened?"

She concentrated on her breathing until the pain subsided.

How was she going to explain this? Already she was surrounded by people seeking to offer her assistance. Her own Jedi contingency. Should they take her to Med Center here, they would discover the baby. She did not know what they would do next.

"I am fine, gentlemen," she told them. She shrugged with embarrassment. "I just need something to eat. That's all; I swear."

"I'm taking you home, milady," Typho said, lifting her in his arms.

Mortified, Padmé exclaimed, "I have to go to the Senate building, Captain. This is not necessary!"

His countenance told her that nothing she said would alter his course. She was on her way to 500 Republica.

"Bail!"

Bail stepped away from the gathering chivalrous Jedi and called out, "Go home and rest a while, Padmé. The Senate doesn't reconvene for two more hours."

She looked back pleadingly at him.

"I'll find out what I can," he told her, his eyes letting her know he understood what she wanted.

Padmé closed her eyes with hope. She rested her head on Typho's shoulder and fell asleep.

Obi-Wan walked into Temple with weary legs. He tried to smile at the friends he passed on the way to his quarters, but it was too much effort. He hadn't slept in days. He feared there would be no hope for it even now with his exhaustion. He was needed today in the Senate, to stand along with the rest of the Order.

The door slid closed behind him and he leaned back against it. It was cool in the room and dark. He looked around at his living space and actually felt glad to be there. His eyes felt like they were filled with sand, and he closed them.

His mind still reeled with all Siri had told him last night. It was so remarkably foul and grotesque. Palpatine had actually tried to turn Anakin into a Sith. Anakin would have been responsible for the slaughter of his fellow Jedi, even the younglings. The _younglings_, by the Force! He would have gone to Mustafar to kill Gunray and cohorts. He would have…

He rubbed his hands over his face and stepped over to his serving fountain to pour himself some water.

Anakin would have been responsible for choking the air from his own wife, prompting her labor prematurely and robbing her of the will to live. The man she thought her husband would have been long gone and in his place, a horrific monster.

And that would have only been the beginning. The fate of his own relationship with Anakin would have been an equally tragic one. They would have fought on that dreadful volcanic planet, and it was to be a fight to the death. It would not be Dark versus Light, good or evil. It would not have even been Sith against Jedi. The description Siri gave him made it clear it would have been Anakin versus Obi-Wan—definitely personal, absolutely devastating. It would have left Anakin to live the remainder of his life in a sophisticated iron lung, and he would be forced to live in the seclusion of the Jundland Wastes on Tatooine, hiding from the wrath of a newly born Empire. It would have been up to him to keep Anakin's son safe.

The boy would have never known who his father _had_ been—the powerful Jedi and great friend. A man of wonderful kindness and remarkable talent. He would have only known of the machine that would terrorize the galaxy for decades. He would have never known the accomplishments of his mother, and how his parents knew a love most beings could only dream of sharing. He would never experience their embrace or their praise, and would have had to be kept hidden away from Anakin, far away, in a place his own life force could never be felt.

Obi-Wan sat down and thought of his regret. He knew he should not. By rights, he should be meditating. He should concentrate on his breathing. He knew that his presence on Coruscant would have done nothing to change the events of the last few days. These things had to happen. It was the will of the Force. That did not stop him from wondering how it would have gone had he been there when Anakin needed him. As he should have been there all the other times when Anakin silently asked for his help. He had just been so used to seeing his _padawan_, ignoring his own sentiment, his own weaknesses.

He remembered a day recently when he had gone to Padmé's apartment. He had explained that Anakin was under a lot of stress and asked her if she knew why. She had not told him anything, and he had felt guilty for asking her. He requested she do what she could to help their friend. She had seen his concern and understood immediately from where it really sprung.

Obi-Wan liked to believe he had no attachments, but that was hardly the truth. He needed to take responsibility for that. Padmé had seen it, too. The truth was he loved Anakin Skywalker. They were far more than Master and Apprentice. Anakin was is brother. They were bonded in every way that mattered, even if they did not share blood. The truth was he could not imagine a life without Anakin in it.

Perhaps it was his own demons, his own shadows of the Dark Side that made him ignore the things that should have been transparent to him. Say what he would about the reality of Dooku's demise, was he not just as guilty of his emotions as Anakin?

One could argue he killed Darth Maul in anger, not self-defense, a dozen years ago. It was his arrogance that made him believe he could train Anakin just as well as Master Yoda. He could have had more faith in Anakin's ability to think for himself instead of trying to force his interpretation of the Force on him. He could have led by virtuous example instead of with the impatience of the long-suffering.

_Useless_, he thought. _I cannot waste my time revisiting the past when I have right now to contend with. Let it go, Kenobi. You can help him now, today. You can stand at his side and give him the constancy he has earned with his faith._

It was in this moment that Obi-Wan vowed that he would not fail Anakin again.

_The grass was a deep shade of green, and the cloudless sky was a pristine blue. The smell of wildflowers wafted in the air, and somewhere in the distance birds sang. This place was a sanctuary. Neither real or imagined. It was born of a state of tranquility in the Force. It was a wonderful place with no fear, no aggression, or greed. Everything about it was serenity. It was in the land, the water, the air. _

_Anakin stretched and put his hands behind his head. He sighed, and let the sun continue to warm him. _

"_How are you feeling today, Ani?"_

_He didn't open his eyes. "Tired."_

_Anakin felt the weight of his host settle beside him on the grass. _

"_You know you cannot stay here, Anakin. You must return."_

"_I know."_

_There was no regret in his voice. Just acceptance._

"_You still have a difficult road ahead, old friend."_

"_Yes."_

"_But you are free, Anakin. You have escaped the shackles of your slavery. Your future is unknown yet filled with wonderful possibilities."_

_He did smile now. It was true. He was truly free, and he had never felt more at peace before in his short, if eventful, life. _

_He sat up and faced his conscience. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse with emotion. "Thank you, Master."_

_Qui-Gon Jinn looked at the Chosen One of the Prophecy and replied, "you're welcome, Anakin."_

_He unfolded his legs, stood, and held out his hand to assist his apprentice. They then faced each other and for the first time, Qui-Gon saw the man, not the boy he'd discovered on Tatooine. _

"_Open your eyes, and be at peace with what you have learned," he continued to instruct. "Use it. Keep your focus on what you are doing when you are doing it and not what was or what will be. You are free."_

"_Yes, Master."_

_They stopped in the meadow._

"_May the Force be with you, Anakin." Qui-Gon bowed. _

"_May the Force be with _you_, Master. Farewell."_

Anakin raised his head, his breathing even. His eyes opened and focused slowly on his company seated not five feet from him. They stared at each other for a moment. Then, the celebrated Jedi Knight grinned, and it was as bright as the rise of Tatooine's twin suns.

Master Yoda sighed his relief.

"Welcome back, young Skywalker."


	3. Aftershocks

**The Jedi Change**

**_Disclaimer: I am, regrettably, not at all affiliated with Lucasfilm, Lucasbooks, or any other entity of the _Star Wars_ enterprise. _StarWars_ characters belong only to George Lucas. The character of Siri Tachi belongs to Jude Watson. _**

_**Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**_

Chapter Three-Aftershocks

The Grand Convocation Chamber of the Galactic Senate was filled to capacity and in full session. The gallery of visitors watched and murmured to one another with rapt attention. The complete tale of Chancellor Palpatine's treachery had finally been exposed, and the debate for his position as leader had begun. There was little doubt amongst the constituents who would be voted to fill the void. For many, the decision was a clear one. Politics was the game, however, and they must continue to wait for the vote to hear the words that Bail Organa was named Chancellor of the Grand Republic.

There were those in attendance who were present not because they found the issues at hand critical or even interesting. They came to see their hero in person. Some strained their necks as much as they could to simply get a glimpse of him in the distance. Men wanted to be him. Women sighed when his holographic image was displayed on the monitor of the gallery, a courtesy provided for the spectators to see the discussions and arguments going on in the pods beyond them.

It was a momentous occasion on many levels. The galaxy had been wrapped in the bitter upheaval of war for three years. For nothing, for the greed of one man. Now they would all have to bring peace for themselves, assist in the clean-up and find compassion in the face of intergalactic restoration. It would not be an easy task for anyone, much less those personally betrayed by Palpatine. Particularly for the Jedi Order. That they were in attendance of the Senate was rare in itself. They were not a political organization. For a thousand years, they served as the guardians of peace and justice. No group of people were expected to do more and gain little gratitude than the thinly numbered Jedi Knights.

The transcripts would declare for history the words that riveted all who were ignorant to the deceased chancellor's wickedness, the news of his insidious plots. It would never capture the emotion or the reactions of the people, however. Everyone was stunned at the evidence. All were in disbelief, unable to comprehend how anyone could be so despicably evil. Some felt shocked and betrayed, unwilling to believe how they could have been so thoroughly duped. Others would proclaim that they had suspected his perfidy and rail that no one listened to their warnings, thus the persons who voted for him and his policies had deserved what they had received under Palpatine's leadership.

Then there were the citizens who never followed politics, never participated in the mechanizations of how their society worked, and lived their lives in blissful ignorance. There was confusion as to how all of this came about and why the distinguished Jedi Knights played such a magnificent part. Could they not sense what was happening? Did not the gifts of their births give them the power to stop Palpatine before he started? How could they have let it go on for so long? The Jedi Order was relied upon to control such matters. They were entrusted to keep watch. How could they not have known?

It was this simplicity of thinking that kept the audience there in the Senate hall that day. Yes, they had all endured the hardships of war. In the end, it would be the Jedi bearing the brunt of the galaxy's repair. No one could truly complain.

The Jedi Council spoke in defense of themselves, the Order and in testimony to the Senate with all the chancellor's dealings. They had lost many in action, in all sorts of far-off places, even in the Outer Rim. The Order had suffered significant losses.

With severe concealment, Master Yoda had independently hired a former Knight, Siri Tachi, to proceed in what began as her own exploration into Chancellor Palpatine. She had a new career as a private investigator, and Palpatine had sparked her interest sometime after she had left the Order. She had gone to Masters Yoda and Windu with her reservations, off Council record. It was discovered that he had personal interest in her. Master Yoda and Mistress Tachi suspected that his fascination was not in acquiring a new Sith apprentice but a romantic one. That he wanted her as his bride was their own admittedly honest _speculation_, but the public would concede that upon first look that is exactly what he wanted.

The new apprentice would come later.

There was pandemonium when Anakin Skywalker took center pod to address the Senate. There he was, the Hero With No Fear, the savior of the Republic and the immortal Jedi Knight. He spoke with a maturity beyond his years. It was clear that the whole experience had changed him. He described in horrid, unequivocal detail all that had occurred the night he found out the Chancellor—a man he had called friend and mentor—was the source of the galaxy's malady, the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Skywalker reported that he had gone back to the Jedi Temple to alert his Master of what Palpatine had confessed to him only moments before: he was a Sith lord. Master Windu told him to remain at Temple while he and three other Jedi would go the Chancellor's office and take him into custody. They would charge him with treason.

The enormous chambers filled with delegates fell utterly silent while the audio security transcripts were played. Their gazes were captivated by the visuals on their hand-held holoscreens of what had happened in Chancellor Palpatine's chamber when Masters Windu, Fisto, Kolar, and Tiin confronted him.

At first there was confusion because the dialogue and visuals contradicted one another. It was then explained that halocams had been installed in the chambers shortly before Chancellor Valorum had been impeached from office. Palpatine had no idea. He could activate voice recordings himself. Unbeknownst to him, the cams were activated only once he had depressed his security alarm.

Palpatine's mock cries of treason and pleas for assistance were perverse against what everyone could now see had actually happened: the blood-red blaze of his own lightsaber switched on, his quicksilver bound and twist over his desk to strike a lethal blow to one Jedi, then another…and another. Masters Fisto and Kolar had not expected it and could make no move for defense. Master Tinn had not even ignited his own weapon, so fast was the Sith's attack. They had been murdered where they stood at the doorway. He lunged for Master Windu, but this time his opponent was prepared.

Most had never seen a Jedi in action, let alone against a Sith. The battle was so incredibly violent in its beauty, and that is perhaps what was most disturbing. Master Windu's reputation with his lightsaber was legendary, and he did not disappoint. His movements were amazingly calm and precise despite the vehemence of Palpatine's thrusts. His parries were smooth and fluid. It was not too long before he had Palpatine weaponless.

There were audible gasps in the theatre once they saw the blinding strands of lightning flow from Palpatine's fingertips. Mace Windu held off the potentially fatal streams with his lightsaber. The deflection of the beams scorched the former diplomat's features, scarring and aging him where he lay on the floor frame of the window. He shriveled before their eyes.

Their hero ran into the room, shielding his eyes against the bright light of battle. Palpatine played the victim well for him. His tone was that of a feeble old man as he begged Skywalker to help him. The knight had looked from Palpatine to his Jedi Master, stating that the chancellor could not be killed. He should be arrested and placed on trial. Master Windu told him on a groan that the Sith Lord could not be allowed to live.

No one who watched the recorded scenes could hardly blame him for the sentiment.

It was apparent that Skywalker had been torn between the two men. Palpatine writhed pathetically on the floor, the very picture of helplessness. Anakin had said more to Windu, but the words were drowned out by the noise of the city outside the crushed window. Whatever he said, however, seemed to get through to Master Windu and the lightsaber was extinguished.

The smug smile on Palpatine's face was disgustingly sadistic. He threw his hands up again, pointing them viciously at the victorious Jedi master. Windu screamed in instant agony.

"_No_!" Skywalker bellowed, as the elegant blue arc of his lightsaber blade slashed through the air, through Palpatine, effectively ending the battle.

The cavernous room was quiet for several minutes. The holoscreens went black. Even the most articulate leaders in the room could say nothing. They had just witnessed with their own eyes the magnitude of the Palpatine's atrocities. There could be no denial now. It would be up to them to fix it.

"The death of your liberty, his life would have been," Master Yoda of the Jedi Order finally spoke.

That certainly could not be denied.

"Find his followers, we must," he continued. "Contain any remnants, we shall."

The delegation from Alderaan, led by Bail Organa, offered any assistance they may need. Several star systems followed suit. It was then declared that the apprehension of Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore would become the Jedis' first priority. The Jedi representatives excused themselves, and the Senate would now prepare their nominations for a new chancellor.

The Halonet News sprung on the Jedi has soon as their pod anchored. Anakin Skywalker ignored them, staring straight ahead, his posture erect and his steps confident. The Masters with him initiated interviews with the press in a vain effort to deflect them. Skywalker gently shrugged off demanding grasps and managed to get to his ship. The engines ignited, and he blasted off, quickly disappearing into the Galactic City skyline.

Siri Tachi leaned against the marble pillar and watched Obi-Wan Kenobi shake hands with those who approached him. There was an enormous gratitude for all the Jedi that there never was in previous years. She supposed it was a natural reaction to everything they had learned in the past few hours. He smiled for everyone. He blushed from their praise, and that made her grin. She thought it must be wonderful to be so thoroughly humble.

"Can we go now?"

She turned away from her musings and looked at the tall, lanky teen who had come to stand next to her. He looked as disheveled and bored as ever. His stance was petulant.

"So you found none of this impressive, eh?" she asked him, her heart light.

His hazel eyes gleamed and he shuddered as he said, "Being here makes my fingers itch."

She cocked an elegant brow. "Just so long as you haven't been scratching them in anyone's pockets."

She gave her young friend her full attention. "Tell me truly. What did you think?"

He sighed roughly, the action making his whole body deflate. "I didn't get it, all right? There. I still don't understand what standing around and talking have to do with governing. It's just a bunch of hot-air squabbling, if you ask me."

Siri tried not to smile, not wanting to discourage him further. "Okay. What about the Jedi? What did you think?"

"They're so…serious, Siri," he answered. His expression was one of distaste. "Talking to them must be like being scolded to death with hokey platitudes. No wonder you got the hell..._heck_, away from them."

"In time, you'll understand them," she said softly, her face going maternal on him. Again. "I am glad you came. I needed a friend, and I'm glad it was you. Thank you."

He shuffled his feet, her kindness making him as uncomfortable as it always did. He caught himself behaving nervously and remembering what she had taught him, he stilled himself and looked her in the eyes. He had to look _down_ at her, of course, but he knew she would understand what he was practicing.

"You're welcome."

He moved his sharp gaze, intent on the man approaching them.

_Another one of the priests_, he thought, looking at the robes he wore. But his eyes were kind, even if the rest of his face looked old. He recognized him as one of the Generals of the Grand Army.

"Siri," the Jedi said.

She turned back to face him. "Obi-Wan."

"Thank you for waiting," he told her.

She shrugged. "I had to." She used her thumb to indicate her companion. "He's my ride."

Obi-Wan looked at the young man beside her. "Oh."

The look on his face interested Siri. Then she rolled her eyes.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, I would like you to meet Han Solo. Han, this is an old friend of mine, Master Kenobi."

Han gave a quick nod. "Hey."

Obi-Wan bowed a bit. "Hello."

_So this is the guy Mistress Siri loves, _Han thought, disappointed_. He's so…so…_old He would have to ask her about her taste in men. _Sheesh, the guy's a _…Jedi. _Gross_.

"I promised Han, here, that I would treat him to dinner once this was all over," Siri said. "We were just leaving. You are welcome to join us, if you would like."

Han saw the way Kenobi's eyes seemed to be absorbing his mistress and suddenly felt like he was intruding on something. He bristled a little.

"I would very much like to," Kenobi began, then sighed. "Unfortunately, I must return to the Council."

Obi-Wan leaned closer and because he did, Han did as well.

"I have yet to have word with Anakin."

Siri nodded. "I understand. Perhaps another time."

"I would like that very much."

They stared at each other. Han looked from Siri to Kenobi and cleared his throat.

"We'd better go before the dining facilities are filled with stragglers from the Senate," Han announced. He offered Siri his arm. "Shall we?"

The spell broken, Siri slipped her arm through his. "Of course. Good night, Obi-Wan."

"Good night, Siri."

Obi-Wan watched them walking away and absently called out, "It was nice to meet you, Han."

The boy didn't even turn his head. "Yeah."

Siri waited until he had strapped himself in before she turned the ignition.

"Was it necessary to be rude to Master Kenobi?" she asked.

_She's not mad. She's just irritated. That's good._

"He was looking at you funny," Han griped.

Siri smiled, looking ahead. "I know."

She sounded smug. Han had never known that tone with her. "How can you be in love with him? You're not a Jedi, but _he_ is. Isn't that, like, the 'never gonna happen' category of your life? And not just that! He's _old_."

She almost laughed. "He is not old."

"He is, too!" he said mulishly. "Did you see the wrinkles on his eyes?"

"Character," she answered.

"What about his hair?"

"What is wrong with his hair?"

"It's got gray in it."

"It's distinguished."

He rolled his eyes. "It's _old_. And what's with the bowing?"

"Show of respect." She spared him a glance. "You ought to try it some time."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "He's short."

"He's taller than me."

He looked at her evenly. "_Everybody_ is taller than you."

"Han," she sighed. "You are suspiciously starting to sound like an overprotective sibling. Remember yourself, please."

He grunted. "_Someone_ has to look out for you. You clearly lack your own ability to do it."

"Said the pickpocket to the Jedi," she teased.

"I resent that," he snapped with feigned offense.

"I apologize."

"Don't do that."

"Do what, Han?"

"Use that tone you do when you think you're indulging me. I hate it."

"You do not."

"And…_and_…I told you," he rambled on. "I haven't picked a single pocket since you nearly cut my hand off that night on the Lower Level. You're also not a Jedi anymore."

"I'll always be a Jedi, love," she corrected. "I am just no longer a Knight of the Order."

"Well, _he_ is still a knight so I don't understand why you continue to hope for something that will never be," he replied.

Siri was quiet for a moment, digesting his words. She saw Han's profile. He was looking out at the scenery as they flew, innocent to the cut of his remark.

"Because if we lose hope, Han," she said. "Our lives are meaningless. We would be empty of joy. And sometimes, hope is all we have."


	4. Brothers

**The Jedi Change**

**_Disclaimer found prior to Chapter One. Keep the reviews coming, everyone. They speed me along. _**

Chapter Four- Brothers

It was time. Finally. There would be resolution to this dilemma of dual loyalty, and it was out of Anakin's hands. The Council would decide his fate. The decision of how he would exit the order would be up to them. He had no doubt that it would in fact be an exit. As he had always known, the rules of Jedi behavior were what they always were and would not change just for him. The codes existed for a reason, and it would not be his right to change them. But now, as he waited patiently in the atrium looking blindly out the view square to the city, Anakin acknowledged that was perfectly all right with him.

There was so much relief in acceptance that he allowed himself to pout for a moment why he had never done it before. Once the decision to release his conscious self had been made, he marveled at how easy it had been to simply exist, to take responsibility for himself yet follow the course of response his actions had created. The past few days had been a hard lesson in humility and an often excruciating one. He could not help the feeling of pride at the outcome, but this was the good kind. He would not lie and say he would not miss the Order. He absolutely would. It was comforting, however, to know that he would not be dismissed in scandal. It would be with mutual gratitude and another brand of appreciation he was now capable of accommodating.

Anakin had a good life. The promise of its future made him smile. Jedi or no Jedi, he would continue to have a good life. He had good health, great friends, and a beautiful wife to go home to. He wasn't certain where that home would eventually be, but he was excited at the prospect of looking for it. There was much to plan for: a new house, a job, their baby. He knew Padmé wished to return to the lake country on Naboo, but perhaps they could talk about making a fresh start somewhere else, a place void of the past. That was appealing to him.

First on his agenda was taking her on that long ago vow of a proper honeymoon. Now _that_ thought made him ungentlemanly giddy. How delighted she would be! They would not have to sneak about with discretion. They could be as sickeningly romantic as they wanted and no one could nay say them. They could flaunt their happiness 'til the Tauntauns came home, and it would be their right to do so. He could hold her hand while they walked down streets together. He could wrap his arms around her as they watched the sun set. She could plant those exuberant kisses all over his face whenever she wished. Ah, yes. His future was incredibly bright!

He returned his thoughts to the present. The Council would convene in a moment, and he had still not sent word to Padmé. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. He reached out to her with his mind and could see her sitting on the sofa, folding a blanket—_a gift for the baby_? She looked radiant, as always, but there were lines of exhaustion on her face, and her eyes had dark circles beneath them. She was worried about him.

_Angel_.

Padmé raised her head, her eyes focused ahead of her.

_Can you hear me?_

She dropped the blanket and pushed herself up from the sofa to walk over to the window. She gazed out to the visible upper towers of the Jedi Temple. She closed her eyes.

_It is almost done, sweetheart. I will be home soon. Can you wait for a little longer?_

Tears of relief and gratitude sprang to her eyes and a cry of joy escaped her. She brought her hand to her quivering lips.

_I love you, Padmé. Wait for me. _

_Always, my love. Always._

_Don't worry?_

_Not any more. I love you, Anakin._

"A Credit for your thoughts."

Anakin's eyes snapped open, and he grinned. He turned around and saw Obi-Wan smiling at him, hands on his hips.

"Do you even have any?" Anakin asked.

His master's lips twitched. "Well…no. But I could request some. Expenses, you know."

Anakin's grin broadened. "It's good to see you, Master."

"What have I said about that?" Obi-Wan stepped closer and clasped his old friend, hard. The weight of remorse lifted, and he pressed Anakin closer. "I'm glad to know you're all right."

Several passersby stopped to look at them with curiosity, but Anakin did not care. He hugged Obi-Wan as tightly as he did him. "I am better than all right, Obi-Wan. I am free."

"Thank the Force," Obi-Wan muttered and released him. He placed his hands on the young man's face and looked him straight in the eyes. "I have never been so proud of you, Anakin. You must believe me."

"I do," Anakin assured him. "I really do, Mas…Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan sighed. "We have much to talk about."

"It may have to wait a while longer," Anakin said sheepishly. "The Council is about to dismiss me, as I'm certain you're aware."

Obi-Wan's expression hardened. "Not if I have any say in it."

"I do not need your aid," Anakin told him kindly. "It will be fine, Obi-Wan. I must face the music. So to speak. I cannot ask you to jeopardize…"

"You're not asking; I'm volunteering. There is a critical difference."

"Must you be so stubborn?"

"Look who's talking."

"I am a changed man."

"You're not going anywhere."

Anakin held on to his patience with great ease. He enjoyed it. "I am married, Obi-Wan. I'm going to be a father. That is completely against the Jedi code. I know it. You know it. It will not change because of me."

"We shall compromise," Obi-Wan declared. He folded his arms across his chest as if he dared Anakin to argue.

"What if I do not wish to remain?" Anakin challenged. It was satisfying to see the look of startle on his master's face.

Obi-Wan had not thought of that, chagrined. "Do not be absurd. It is your life."

"No, it really is not." Anakin set his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and gently squeezed. "I have another family, Master. I have another life. They are what I want. Please try to understand. I will never forget you, and I hope that we shall continue to see each other. But this…" He waved his hands. "I have a new chapter to write. It is time to move on to my life with Padmé. I love her, Obi-Wan. I want my life to be with her. Please try to understand.

Whatever they decide, I am prepared. I think only of the here and now. Tomorrow, duty will take care of itself."

It was terribly difficult for Obi-Wan to let go. He stepped away and looked out the view window, his jaw tight. He was older than Anakin, more seasoned, and he realized far too set in his ways. To be fair, all he could do was relent and accept the path his former padawan had chosen for himself. He thought about what it would be like to not see Anakin everyday.

He would miss him. Deeply.

"If you ever need me, Master," he heard Anakin whisper. "You will always know where to find me."

That was comforting. Obi-Wan made his selfishness recede.

"Thank you, Anakin."

The doors to the Council chambers slid open, and Master Windu looked at the pair standing by the window. He wore shaded spectacles over his eyes, still sensitive to light. It was happily noted that there would be minimal scarring on his hands and face, the Jedi healers having had reacted quickly to prevent them. Force lightning had done a number on the vaulted Jedi Master, but his youth and natural resilience would see he had a proper recovery.

"Master Kenobi," he said. He bowed to Anakin. "The Council is about to proceed with session."

"Yes, of course. I will be right there." He also bowed, and Master Windu returned to his seat. He turned once again to Anakin. "Will you be here when we finish?"

"I await their decision," Anakin replied. "I will face them."

Obi-Wan nodded and with heavy heart stepped over to the doorway of chambers. "I will not let you down, Anakin."

"I know," Anakin smiled. "It will be all right, Master."

"May the Force be with you."

Anakin fell into a deep bow. "And with you, Obi-Wan."

It was a solemn gathering. Master Windu was the first to speak.

"I know you are all aware of Knight Skywalker's state of matrimony, and I am certain that are equally aware that this meeting is but a mere formality," he stated to the room.

"I am pleased to know we are all in accord," the ghost image of Ki-Adi-Mundi replied. "It is paramount we be able to get back to our search for Palpatine's administrators."

Shaak-Ti said, "I would like to take an opportunity to say that Anakin deserves to remain in the Order. His marriage is irrelevant. With respect, of course."

Obi-Wan looked at her and smiled gratefully.

"I might add that I do not personally believe the principles of this Order, which have existed for a millennia, should be altered on a whim," Stass Allie contributed. "We must proceed carefully if we are to preserve all we have practiced for a thousand years."

"Lightly, this decision was not made," said Master Yoda. "Much meditation I have given."

Obi-Wan held his breath. The final decision would have to be made by the superior Jedi. He knew Master Yoda did not approve of the marriage. So much was changing for the Jedi. He knew it must be hard for their Jedi patriarch to accept those changes.

"In debt to young Skywalker, we are," Yoda replied. "Our motives, unselfish must be."

"I concur." Mace Windu sat up straighter and looked at each of his fellow Jedi. "I have been particularly harsh on Anakin from the time Qui-Gon Jinn presented him to us. I allowed my judgment to be immediate and perhaps stained. I say this not only because I owe him my life, but because I saw firsthand what trusting him to his instincts has done. I vote to keep Anakin Skywalker in the Jedi Order."

Yoda said, "All in favor?"

"Aye." The answer was swift amongst the occupants. It was all Obi-Wan could do to keep from laughing.

"As to the other points regarding the issue of Jedi marriages," Mace sighed. "We will have to return to them only after we have Ameeda and Moore in custody." He eyed the three vacant chairs in the circle where his friends Fisto, Kolar and Tinn should have been seated. "We will once again be short staffed."

Obi-Wan saw the sadness on the Master Windu's face in remembering the slain Jedi Masters. "Shall we bring Anakin in?"

"Do you think he will accept our decision, Master Kenobi?" Shaak Ti asked.

"I do not know."

"Let's show him in."

Anakin walked to the center of the circle and bowed before Master Yoda.

"Decided, we have," Yoda told him.

"Yes, Master."

"Anakin, you have been through more in the last few days than most of us in this room have experienced throughout our lives," replied Shaak Ti.

"We have considered your circumstances carefully, and we have decided…"

"Remain a Jedi Knight, you shall."

Anakin was stunned. He glanced at Obi-Wan, who shrugged. "I do not understand."

"We do not agree with your methods," Stass Allie told him. "You should not have lied to us."

Anakin was appropriately shame-faced. "I have no excuse."

"But then," Shaak Ti sent Allie a look of admonishment. "None of us has ever experienced affairs of the heart."

"We have been indoctrinated into the Jedi Code since birth," offered Ki-Adi-Mundi. "You had not, which ironically is why you were first refused the apprenticeship."

"The point is this," Master Windu began. "If the true _principles_—not specifically the rules—of the Jedi Order are to remain intact, we must be willing to reflect and possibly amend them. These are difficult times. We cannot lose any more Jedi through our own brand of stubborn pride. If we are to lead, we must do so by example.

The people would never abide your dismissal from the Order. The Republic deserves this one compromise from us."

"Say this is for the Republic, we do not," added Yoda. "You are the Chosen One of the Prophecy. Will of the Force, this experience has been."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin absorb this information, a myriad of emotions crossing his features. "The choice is truly yours, Anakin."

Mace bowed his head, and Shaak Ti said, "We cannot make you stay."

Anakin swallowed. "Forgive me, Masters. I am truly grateful for this opportunity, but…this isn't right. I would never expect you to change your philosophies for me. I have done what I have done, and I take full responsibility for the repercussions."

Mace waved him off. "We know. That is exactly why we want you to remain. You have changed, Anakin. Your faith in the Force has defeated your inner darkness. Your victory against your own demons has delivered the prophecy. You are a Jedi. In every sense of the word."

"For Senator Amidala, your concern is," Yoda understood.

"You are the only group of people who know," Anakin reminded them. "There is still the possibility she will be made to step down."

"I leave for Naboo tonight," Mace countered, making Anakin's eyes widen in shock. "I will speak with the Queen myself."

Grace fountained through Anakin. He was speechless.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan waited for Anakin to look at him. "What would you like to do?"

Anakin looked at the faces of his Jedi Masters and was overcome. There had been so much misunderstanding between them all these years. He had betrayed them, yet here they were, offering him their unflinching support. They would stand with him in any decision he made. He did not doubt them. He would be welcome here forever. They wanted to be his family.

It was the third happiest moment of his life.

"I am a Jedi Knight," he said, his voice hoarse with feeling. "I want to stay."

Obi-Wan practically slumped in his relief.

"Then stay, you shall…Master Skywalker."

"What?"

"Anakin Skywalker…" Mace Windu stood. Everyone else followed suit, igniting their lightsabers. "Come to me."

Anakin did not know how he made it the few steps to bring himself before Master Windu. He kneeled at his feet.

"You have bested the challenges of self, the trials of the flesh, and have braved victorious through the test of the dark side." Windu touched the tip of his saber to Anakin's shoulder then the other. "You are now dubbed _Master_ Jedi Knight of the Grand Republic."

Anakin bowed his head reverently. "Thank you, Master."

He could not see Master Windu's eyes, but he saw his smile and the brief flash of straight white teeth.

Anakin stood and accepted the congratulations of his comrades, shaking hands and grinning like a Gungan. Obi-Wan watched his former padawan and was filled to bursting with pride. Anakin caught his eye and broke from the group to stand in front of him.

"Well, Master Kenobi…" Anakin could not finish. "I am here. It appears I really am not going anywhere."

"No, you are not. You deserve this, Anakin. You have my heartfelt congratulations."

"I suppose this makes us truly…"

"Brothers."

They embraced.

"Not so small matter, another there is."

"Yes, Master Yoda?"

"Ameeda and Moore," Ki-Adi-Mundi added.

"I will talk to the Senators," Shaak Ti replied.

"Decide that in the morning, we will. Master Skywalker, granted thirty days leave you are. Await the birth of your child, you will."

"But then, Master Skywalker, you will report for duty."

"Happily, Master Windu."

"Go home, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him. "Tell Padmé your good news."

"I must leave for Naboo."

Anakin turned to Mace. "Master, I can go. You should stay here and rest."

The elder Jedi cocked a brow. "Already you try telling me what I should and should not do?"

It made Anakin grin. "Certainly not, Master. It was but a suggestion."

"Good night, Master Skywalker," Mace dismissed and left the council chambers.

Anakin kneeled again, this time before Master Yoda.

"Thank you, Master," he whispered soberly. "For everything."

"Time changed, it has," Yoda told him. "Will of the Force, it is, that I bend."

"I will not disappoint you, Master."

"Know you will not, I do."

The new master walked alongside his former through the Grand Hall of the Temple.

"Padmé will be overjoyed," Anakin told Obi-Wan. "I still cannot believe it."

"I am certain it will settle in quickly, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied knowingly.

"And you contributed nothing to the discussion?"

"I was not even asked for my opinion." Obi-Wan frowned. "What should I make of that?"

"Perhaps they were unwilling to sit through one of your long-winded speeches as you defended me like a mama-chick."

"I am not long-winded, nor have I ever henned you in our _very long_ career together!"

"Of course not, Master."

"Stop that!"

"Of course. _Obi-Wan_."

"That isn't what I meant." He groaned in exasperation. Everything was back to normal.

It was wonderful.

"What will you do now, Obi-Wan?"

"Sleep," he responded. "For the next few weeks or so."

"So you will not be dropping in on Siri to deliver the news?"

Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks. "What…er…Mistress Tachi has halonet access."

_And, _apparently_, a child to take to dinner._

"Obi-Wan," Anakin started quietly. "About the other day with Siri…"

"Stop," Obi-Wan bade. "I am entitled no explanation from you. It is none of my business."

Anakin studied him for a moment. "There are some things I need to tell you."

"That isn't necessary, Anakin." This topic was making him uncomfortable. He wanted to keep the subject in the past where it belonged. "I know you and she remain friends."

Anakin looked perplexed. "She is your friend as well, Obi-Wan. You must know she…"

"Please, Anakin," Obi-Wan implored. "I do not wish to discuss her."

Anakin shook his head. "Very well." He pointed a finger at Obi-Wan. "But I think you both do each other a great disservice. Whatever it is that plagues you about one another, may I suggest you work it out? Life is far too short for foolish resentment."

"Blast," Obi-Wan scoffed. "This is a new side of you I could do without."

"Nah," Anakin chuckled. "You will get used to it. I have _foreseen_ it."

Obi-Wan sneered. "That is…very droll. You are the one favoring that kind of attachment, brother dear. You alone shall bear the burden of it."

"Perhaps." Anakin walked past the elaborate statues representing the Lost Twenty but stopped in front of Siri's likeness. He looked up at the marble replica of her, the smile on her lovely face. "But as Master Yoda said, 'Time changed, it has. Will of the Force, it is.'"

Obi-Wan folded his arms against his chest. "What are you implying, Anakin?"

_Now is not the time_, Anakin mentally decided. He had never realized precisely how dense his beloved Master could be.

"I shall leave you to determine that," he hedged. "I am going home. To my wife."

He bowed formally, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"Oh, _go_ already, you lot of trouble."

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."

"Leave!"

Anakin's retreat was joyous.


	5. Master and Mrs Skywalker

**The Jedi Change**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Wars characters. This serves only to satisfy my need for happier renewals._**

Chapter Five- Master and Mrs. Skywalker

Anakin leaped out of his starship and jogged to meet his wife halfway across the landing platform. He grunted at the vigor of her collision with him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. To his amusement, he had to stretch his arms a bit to press her closer. Then their lips met, and Anakin knew he was truly home.

"Oh, Anakin," Padmé breathed, pressing her face into his neck. "I was so worried about you." She kissed the space beneath his ear. "No one would tell me anything!"

He cradled her face in his hands. "I'm fine, angel."

He kissed her again, long and deep. _Every horror of the last few days was worth this,_ he thought. Holding her in his arms, feeling her heartbeat, smelling the sweetness of her, had been worth every thing he fought.

"Let's go inside, love," he told her. "I need to talk to you."

He held her hand, and they walked inside under the shield of their living area Padmé could not stop touching him. She looked him up and down as if to assure herself that he was totally unharmed. He sat down on the sofa, pulling her close against his side and stroking her hair.

"Are you well?" he inquired. "How is the baby?"

She touched his cheek. "I'm fine. _We're_ fine."

It was, quite simply, the best life he could have for himself. It was unspeakably precious, and he would never take his good fortune for granted ever again.

He thought of his mother and for the first time did not feel the pain of her loss, the deep self-loathing that used to accompany it. He could rejoice now, knowing her spirit was in a good place. He knew she was proud of him. He knew that more than anyone, she would celebrate his accomplishments. He could feel her, one with the Force. Shmi was euphoric with his marriage, his child. It was exhilarating to feel this peace with that.

Padmé sighed with happiness and snuggled closer to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Today, in the Senate, it was so incredibly hard to not go to you. When I saw the Council pod levitating center, I nearly leaped out to touch you."

"I'm sorry I didn't contact you, Padmé," he replied, genuinely contrite. "Things were…complicated for a while there. I needed to think."

She met his gaze. "I'm sorry about Palpatine, Anakin."

He shook his head. "It's disconcerting to know I was conned for years by him. It was hard on my ego. I saw that even in the midst of that bedlam, I had made it more about me than him. I think that was the worst part of it for me. Recognizing the evil in myself, my own lust for power. I was bitter with the knowledge that I entertained joining him."

"No," she denied vehemently. "You are a good man, Anakin. You could have never been with Palpatine. You could never be a Sith."

He rubbed his lips against the hairline at her temple. When he spoke, his voice indicated where his thoughts were. "I was so…angry, Padmé. At everything. Then, with the dreams…"

Anakin shook his head to clear it. Tears filled his eyes. The visions Siri had helped him to see came back in rapid succession—the destruction of Temple and all his friends, Obi-Wan fighting for his life against him…Padmé in that alien room giving birth to the child he would never see and dying for his greed. How close he had come to annihilating all he cared for!

_Your focus determines your reality, Anakin_, Qui-Gon once told him. He was eternally grateful he focused on the right things when the time to choose had arrived.

"You had suffered so much, my love," Padmé whispered, caressing his cheek. "And you are human. What is important is that you did what was right. Palpatine could not twist you. You were inevitably what he most despised. You were stronger than him."

Anakin smiled at her reasoning. She was right. He could never be a Sith lord. He loved her too much; that was his true power. He would fail miserably at galactic dictatorship. The Jedi may not approve of romantic love, but if tonight was any indication of it, they certainly would never disdain it in the way of the Sith. It made one sensitive to the misery of others.

She closed her eyes, horrified, remembering the holographic images she had seen.

"It's over now," he said lovingly, seeing her thoughts. "Palpatine is dead. Democracy is secure, and I have been made a Jedi Master."

"What?" She sat up, stunned. "What did you say?"

"The Council made me Master," he repeated.

She began to cry. "Oh, Anakin!" She kissed him. "That's wonderful!"

He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Don't cry, sweetheart."

"I can't help it," she told him and hugged him tight. "I'm so happy for you."

"Be happy for _us_. It means we are not being thrown out on the streets. Yet."

"Don't be flip. This is important to you and a wonderful accomplishment."

Her face glowed with pride and adoration. He would remember that look all his days.

"I was certain I would be kicked-out," he reminded her. "I am grateful I wasn't, but I have to say. It would not have been the end of the world."

"You belong with them," she cooed, her smile remaining.

"So you've told me. Repeatedly."

She stared at him for several moments, her expression of wonder.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're actually teasing me," she told him, incredulous.

"Well…" He leaned closer to her, and she fell gently back against the cushions. "In my meditation, I found my sense of humor."

Her arms twined around his neck. "I'm so glad."

He moved over a little to accommodate the baby, on his side. "You may feel differently over time, you know. I could become insufferable."

"Nev…" His kiss stopped her, and the rush of heat was instantaneous. She moaned as it deepened, her fingers moving into his hair. His leg moved between hers. The kiss went on.

Anakin was panting when he tore his mouth away. Her own breath was ragged, and her eyes were closed. Her lips were wet and swollen from him.

"I love you, Padmé," he whispered gutturally.

Her eyes were unfocused when she looked at him, but her smile was luminous. "I know. Keep kissing me."

He went back for more.

"Master Ani!"

Anakin leapt off her and the sofa in one athletic move, like a guilty child with a hand caught in a forbidden jar of treats. Padmé groaned and put a cushion over her blushing face. He turned to the gleaming gold droid in the center of the room.

"How wonderful to see you, sir!"

Anakin took deep, _deep_, calming breaths. "Hello, Threepio."

"I say, I did not know you were coming," the droid protested. "I would have set a place at the table for you."

He raised his hand. "It's all right, Threepio." He looked down at his wife, her shoulders shaking with what he knew was laughter.

"It is not funny," he muttered softly.

She laughed harder, the sound muffled by the pillow she still held over her face.

C-Threepio cocked his head to the side. He could see his master's breathing was irregular. His clothes were rumpled, and his hair was disheveled. His hands shook, and there was an odd protuberance below his waist. Mistress Padmé found something humorous, but he could not know what that was.

"Are you injured, sir?"

The innocent inquiry made Padmé shout her mirth.

Anakin felt his cheeks flame, closed his eyes and turned his back on the droid. "No, Threepio. I'm hungry. Would you go ahead and set that place on the table? Please?"

"Of course, sir," Threepio replied readily. "Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you."

He waited until Threepio totally left the room before he pulled the pillow away from Padmé.

"You couldn't tell me he was here?"

She tried to catch her breath. "I'm sorry, darling. I forgot."

He helped her up from the couch and pulled her into his embrace. "That was mortifying!"

"He didn't understand what he saw," she said. "He's a droid."

"Thank the Force."

She pulled back to look at him. "Perhaps I should feed you before we pick up where we left off."

"Only because I will not risk him walking in on us to ask if we want red or white wine."

She giggled, and they started walking into the dining room.

"Seriously," she sobered. "He has been a tremendous help to me. I do not know how I would have gotten through all this without Threepio."

"Then I'm glad he's here."

"Goodness, he is like a mother himself with all his fretting," she smiled. "He has a flight plan mapped out to Med Center for when I go into labor. Did you know that?"

He pulled the chair out for her. "No. Who taught him to fly the skiff?"

She sat down, her chin raised. "I did."

_Oh my_, Anakin thought. He would have to test Threepio.

"I know what you're thinking, Ani," she scolded, her eyes narrowing. "I may not as good a pilot as you, but I know what I'm doing at the controls of that skiff."

He sat down at the head of the table, next to her, and poured water into their glasses. "I didn't say anything."

"You don't have to. Your disapproval is rolling off you in waves."

"I didn't _say_ anything."

"You're going to quiz him, aren't you?" she accused.

Why lie? "Of course I am."

She gave him _the look_.

"Angel, he'll be at the controls of a ship with _my_ precious cargo aboard. I am testing him."

Padmé could hardly fault him for his concern. He had made his point.

She placed the napkin in her lap and decided she would not argue with him. Her husband was home. The war was over, and that evil _thing_ that tried to destroy him was out of their lives forever. She watched him sip his water and just basked in his presence.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Immensely. Thank you."

He grinned. "You'll get tired of looking me."

"No. I won't."

"Yes, you will. Soon you'll be taking me for granted."

"I hope not."

He played with her fingers on the table. "You'll be staring at me for the next thirty straight days."

"Don't tease me," she goggled.

"I'm not. I have been given thirty days leave to await the baby," he told her. "Not only did the Council make me Master and forgive my deception, but now, it seems, they're actually looking forward to its fruit."

"That's…incredible," she breathed. "Tell me true. They are not going to send you away? We can actually spend time together?"

Her eyes started leaking again, and Anakin gripped her hand.

"That's right, angel," he whispered. "No more hiding, no more stolen moments."

He leaned over and kissed her trembling lips. "We can do whatever we want. I will be right here."

She touched her forehead to his. "We can finally have a normal life."

"Absolutely," he promised. "Finally. We've earned it, don't you think?"

"I didn't dare dream."

"And now you don't have to, Padmé."

That night, drowsy and his body blissfully sated, Anakin rubbed his hand up and down her smooth back. He could feel her breath on his chest, the blink of her lashes on his skin.

He could lay there forever. If he did not move from this spot for the rest of his life, he would be content.

"Are you asleep?"

He smiled, sleepily. "No. I am savoring this."

"Hmmm…it is nice."

"Sleep will come soon enough."

She lifted her head, her glorious hair shrouding them. "But in the morning we get to start all over again."

"What a delightful prospect!"

Her expression changed, and Anakin frowned.

"What is it, angel?"

A tiny crease formed on her brow, and she wet her lips. "I was wondering about something. I know it's silly, but-"

"Tell me," he coaxed.

"Well," she wet her lips again, and couldn't look at him. "I was just wondering if…er, I can't help but think…"

He raised her chin with his thumb and said sternly, "Padmé."

"If you're disappointed."

Puzzled, he asked, "Disappointed? In what?"

Her small shoulders shrugged. "Well, I am…my body is…I know that my pregnancy has…"

His eyes widened with surprise. "Padmé. Of course I'm not disappointed."

"I wasn't sure," she admitted. "I know it was a little awkward…"

"Padmé, you are the center of my life." His tone left no room for argument. "I have loved you since I was a small boy. Do you really think that love for you could be so shallow?"

Pleased, she settled back into the crook of his arms. "No. Forgive me, Ani. The healers said that my hormones would go berserk the closer I got to my due date. I have been, well, out of sorts lately. I fear our son is already driving me crazy."

"You grow our child inside you, and he is the product of all we mean to each other. If anything, you've become more beautiful to me than ever before."

He was serious. She could feel it and not for the first time counted her blessings that a higher power had brought him into her life and made him love her.

She yawned. "I love you, Anakin. Good night."

He kissed the top of her head for good measure. "Good night, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."


	6. Special Assignment

**The Jedi Change**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Siri Tachi or Yoda, Master of the Jedi Knights. **_

Chapter Six- Special Assignment

When Siri Tachi was a padawan youngling, she used to run through the maze structure of the Room of a Thousand Fountains for the juvenile pleasure of vexing Master Yoda. She was a willful child. She would conceal her presence behind and in the deep grooves of the fixtures. It would amuse her. It was a place designed for deep meditation, and she used it as her own personal fun park, her means of escaping her 'gifted' life as Jedi. Siri should have known then that the personalities clashed.

The life of a padawan youngling was ritually regimented. They would wake before the dawn for meditation then break their fast in the enormous dining hall. They were separated from the padawan apprentices and rarely saw the Masters. Their afternoons were for Living Force training, more meditation, and then, to the rambunctious delight of the small charges, lightsaber training. It could not have a been a simple task for their beloved Master Cin Dralig to lead the class, but it was a role he seemed to openly relish. There were occasional field trips to other planets, strictly for culturally educational purposes. These excursions would be under the watchful eyes of Masters Yoda and Dralig. Even with the scope of the training to nurture their exulted talents, the younglings were fiercely protected.

Sheltered.

Siri closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of the Sapir trees. Mist touched her face, and she smiled.

It was not a bad life. She could never say it was. She had learned much within the walls of Temple. She could not regret her time here. Yet, she did not miss the responsibility of it. Perhaps it was her immaturity, but she still believed she had made the right decision. It could not have been her life forever. She was too independent, much too selfish. There were far too many things she wanted to experience that did not include the Codes. The things she caught herself dreaming were actually in spite of them.

"Eyes on the horizon again, hmmm?"

Siri opened her eyes. Yoda stood in front of her, level with her bent knees. His expression was stoic, his hands folded as habit on his gimer stick. "Good morning, Master."

"Long time it has been since last here you were."

She looked at around the room and remembered. It was the day she had walked out of Obi-Wan's arms. "Yes."

"Know you why I asked you here?" His little body hunched as he stepped to the fountain. He grunted some as he tried to raise himself to sit next to her.

Siri gave him a hand and said, "Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore."

"Separated they have," he told her.

She nodded. "The port authorities have been questioned?"

"Two ships with false flight plans found."

"What about refugee transports?"

"Hard to disguise Sidious' lackeys are," Yoda said.

"Master," Siri began quietly. "Lapses and pseudo descriptions in the memory of witnesses can be purchased. Ameeda and Moore will do anything they have to in order to avoid being caught and placed on trial."

"Naïve, I am not," her little green mentor uttered. "Tis why sent for you were."

"You want me to find them."

"Find them you _will_."

She adjusted her seat with a deep sigh. "Yoda, I am no longer a Jedi. I cannot…"

He poked her arm with his gimer stick, startling her to returning to his attention. "One of the Force, you still are. Wear the robes metaphorically, always you will."

"Once a Jedi, always a Jedi," she whispered, her tone light.

His gaze narrowed and he harrumphed.

"A task of this kind your occupation is, no?"

"Hard to dispute your logic there, Master."

He smoothed the hairs on his head back and was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his tone was staid. "Pay you the Jedi now cannot. Approval from the Senate…"

"I do not need your money, Master."

"Special assignment this is," he said humbly. "Paramount discretion we need."

"I understand."

"Cover your supplies we will—fuel, food, shelter…"

"Not necessary," she shushed him, patting his tiny knee.

The display of affection surprised him, but the light that reached his eyes was pure. His face, ravaged by the lines noting every year of the long life he had lived, smoothed.

"True Jedi you are," he told her hoarsely. "True Jedi."

This sweet little creature would never understand how much that meant to Siri, how much _he_ meant to her, for he did not comprehend the joy of this attachment. Knowing it for herself was enough.

She tried to lighten the moment with levity. "I will do it for selfish reasons." She eyed him with feigned cynicism. "I'm interested to know all about Palpatine's designs for me."

It was a struggle for him to hold his scolding tongue she noticed, but he did it. Instead he told her, "Between you and the Force that is."

She chuckled. "Very well. When do I leave?"

"Once given your partner instruction we have," he answered. Satisfied, he dropped down to his feet to stand next to her.

Confused, she stood herself and began walking with him out of the room. "Partner, Master?"

"Assistance you require," he said simply. "Ignored Ameeda and Moore's deviousness should be not. Another pair of eyes you need."

"I can handle them." Pride was not her protest. She simply did not wish for him to humble himself to anyone ever again. "The Order does not need to…"

"Work with you a _Jedi_ will be."

Siri knew very well how much the Order would have to contend with now. They would need every pair of Jedi hands for restoration work. As they spoke, she understood that many of her friends were preparing for departure. There were diplomatic assignments to be filled. They hadn't a Jedi to spare.

Save one.

She was relieved. It would be nice to paired with someone to whom she was familiar. They would work well together.

"I was happy to hear of Anakin's appointment to Master."

"Earned the privilege he has."

"Yes." She looked down at him, searching for something. "Master Windu was successful with his mission on Naboo?"

"Senator Amidala's marriage no effect on her position the queen judged."

"I suppose she wasn't all that miffed when told Commander Skywalker was the blushing groom."

After a moment, Yoda grudgingly concurred. "No."

She pushed the envelope further. "If you listen closely, you will hear the sounds of hearts breaking all across the galaxy. Many a young girl had dreams of him, you know."

"Impudent be you not," he finally sighed.

"My apologies, Master." Her steps were casual now. "I suppose I should feel bad about dragging Ani away from his bride, but the sooner we can…"

Yoda stopped to look up at her innocently. "Master Skywalker at home will remain."

Siri asked, mystified, "Then who are you pairing me with?"

"Concern you it does not, Mistress Tachi," he told her cryptically.

His eyes softened, and she could barely him determinedly whisper, "Know what I am doing, I do."


	7. Bewitched, Bothered

**The Jedi Change**

_**Disclaimer: While I bow obsequiously to George Lucas, I do not own any rights to anything in the Star Wars Universe. Characters belong to he and Jude Watson. These stories are but the product of the fantasy life I lead where Mr. Lucas signs my paychecks. Please enjoy.**_

_**For my new friends who have taken time out of their busy lives to review these chapters and send their good wishes, I thank you immensely.**_

Chapter Seven-Bewitched, Bothered, and…Bothered Some More

Siri Tachi had fantasized about a situation as this. It was the perfect exercise of her skills, her dedication to justice and her desire to serve the Force. It was a great responsibility the Order had entrusted in her and she would not disappoint them. She _would_ locate Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore. She _would_ return them to Coruscant, and she _would_ see them pay for their crimes against the people. It was the assignment of her life, one for the archives.

The queasiness in her stomach, however, was quite unexpected.

Her mettle demanded she calm herself. Unfortunately, her heart took absolutely no heed. Discovering that she and Kenobi would be working together…alone…without supervision…without daily reports to Temple…away from the suspicious eyes of the Masters…was…_deeply_ _unsettling_.

Sure, she had learned to temper her thoughts and feelings for him through the years. Her absence from the Order had aided her. But now…oh, _now_ that everything was _changing_, that she was being _asked_ to spend this time with him…hiding the sincere, outrageous _longing_ for him would be next to impossible! Obi-Wan Kenobi was a detriment to her concentration. He was the perfect foil to her sense of womanly pride.

Years had not changed that. Absence had not changed that. Those were things that could not dissemble the essence of the man. This weakness in her brought her disgust with herself, but even then, she would not change it. Obi-Wan was more than a good Jedi—a _great_ Jedi. He was a good man. He was kind, superbly intelligent, generous, distinctly loyal, and fair-minded. Oh, and he tried to hide it, but he was wonderfully gentle. It was his nature to protect those who could not defend themselves and even those who could. He was a Jedi to his beloved core.

Siri rolled her eyes with mild self-deprecation. While he had not changed, neither had she. She was still willful and stubborn and…everything else that drove his renown patience to the brink of exhaustion.

She shrugged her shoulders in slow circles, trying to relieve her tension, and took another deep breath.

Meditating was not working.

She jumped when Han shouted, "Okay, blondie."

He walked into her apartment with a large box in his arms. "I have salve, something called Breathers, protein pellets, bacta solution, blankets and something called Sapir."

He dropped the box on a table, and his brow furrowed. "Why do you need a plant?"

Siri's grin was quick. Only Bant, Jedi-Healer and good friend, would think to throw her tea in the Med kit. It was a serious mission, but at least it would also be civilized.

"What the devil are you smiling about?" Han demanded. "You're possibly going to your death, and you're standing here…"

"Hardly my death, Han. Be at peace," she told him. "I know what I am doing."

Not at all placated, Han followed her upstairs to her room. "How long is this going to take?"

"As long as is required to find who we seek."

"I still don't understand why I can't go," he grumbled. "I know more about the wicked underbellies of so-called societies than some crusty, cloistered Jedi."

"Of that I have no doubt, my young friend."

Han ignored her to continue, "I have seen things that Kenobi has only read about. I mean it, Siri! I can help you."

She turned to him, patient. "Do you trust me, Han?"

The hands at his waist relaxed, and he tried a softer tone. "You know I do. And _I_ don't trust anybody."

His expression changed and he pleaded, "Just tell me why you won't take me with you."

"Han, Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore are very dangerous," she explained. "I have been trained to deal with their ilk. I know what they think. I can feel them, Han. You would be a distraction that I cannot afford."

"But you're fine with shackling the decrepit general to your side." He spat.

_It is these moments_, Siri thought, _that make me wonder why I ever saved your hide, you little ingrate._

Her voice was stern. "You will mind your tongue, young man. Accept my decision for it will not change. You will stay here on Coruscant, and you will handle the business at the store. Do you understand?"

He could leave; Han knew that. He did not owe her loyalty. He did not have to mind her like a wayward child. He was a grown man. He could do whatever he pleased. He didn't have to stand here and be disciplined by this snip of a woman. He had his own life to lead!

He sat on the edge of the bed in defeat and rested his chin on his hand.

But he may as well stay. She paid him well, and besides, she'd only find him after her mission. And then there would really be hell to pay.

Han had the sick feeling he would miss her.

She leaned back against her wardrobe closet and watched him for a moment.

Siri had never left Han alone for this amount of time since she had taken him under her, granted—controlling—wing. She recognized that for him this concession was painful. She knew that he felt indebted to her, that he didn't like that feeling. She didn't like it either and sought to ease him of that burden in any way she could. Still, she could not allow him to fight her in this.

"You are my most treasured friend, Han Solo," she told him. "You are the brother I never had. I am grateful every day for…_meeting_ you in that bar. What I do, I do for your own good. Please don't be angry with me. I truly have your best interests at heart."

_Blast it_! Han had nothing to say after that.

"I know you will do me proud," her gentle onslaught continued. "Stay here, and continue your studies. Keep our business running. Please? I cannot do this thing and worry about you."

With great reluctance, Han nodded.

"Thank you."

Han watched her pull a bag out of her closet. He turned away from her utilitarian unmentionables and stepped over to the window.

"What does Kenobi have to say about this?" he asked when he calmed down.

"I don't know. I left after Master Yoda told me of his plan." There was the sound of a zipper closing. "There is good intelligence available to us, Han. It shouldn't take long."

He turned to her again. "Are you gonna be okay with him…you know. Around?"

She tried to smile for him. "It's business, kid. Not personal."

"Uh huh." He stopped her from taking the bag by picking it up himself. "And we both know you're a consummate professional."

She glared at his back as she followed him downstairs. "Don't forget to bring those tools back to Kashyyyk."

"I know, I know." He muttered. "And don't forget to let someone there know I'm coming."

"Please. The Wookies are a good people, but they are a little skittish about foreigners."

He dropped the bag beside the Med kit. "What's the name of the guy I'm supposed to ask for again?"

"Chewbacca." She visually checked the Med kit herself. "Oh, and do yourself a favor."

"What's that?"

"Bring him a burger from Dex," she offered. "Chewie loves to eat. Your visit will be smoother if he likes you."

His response dripped with sarcasm. "Just what I always wanted."

A bell chimed in the room, and Han sighed. "That must be your albatross."

"Han…" she called warningly, walking over to the door. "Be nice."

His grin was prompt with mock sincerity. "Aren't I always?"

Groaning, she opened the door. "Hello, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan bowed. "Good evening."

Han rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

The Jedi saw him and stood erect. Their gazes met-one measuring, one hostile.

"Hello, Han."

Siri pointed at him, signaling that he had better be gracious.

Han gave up. "Hi."

Siri showed Obi-Wan to their supplies. "We taking your ship?"

"Yes." Obi-Wan lifted the box. "I brought the R4 unit just in case."

"In case of what?" Han asked.

Siri answered quickly, "Mechanical difficulties."

Han looked doubtful, but Siri stretched her face up to plant a kiss solidly on his cheek. His face immediately turned red, much to Obi-Wan's amusement.

He knew the feeling well.

"Stay out of trouble, kid," she said.

Han made certain she saw the subtle expression of caution on his face and replied, "You too, blondie."

He turned to Obi-Wan, who waited for her at the door. "Nice seeing you again, O' Grand Master General Jedi Sir."

Bewildered, Obi-Wan could only reply, "You as well, Han."

Siri stepped past Han, swiped the back of his head and left.


	8. No Bride of the Empire

**The Jedi Change**

_Disclaimer: You all know I don't own Star Wars Characters. _

Chapter Eight- No Bride of the Empire

The cockpit was quiet except for the hum of the engines and the minute beeping of the instruments. Siri studied the flight plan from the navigator seat while Obi-Wan checked the indicators. The actions were routine, their manner all-business. For those first moments of flight it was if they were each alone in the ship.

It was only after they had reached deep space that they settled into the silence. The trip would be a few parsecs before they would reach the point of departure into hyperspace. It was this time that Siri normally used to schedule her itinerary or study the reports of her fugitive subjects. It would be no different today.

There would be nothing on the flimsi that she had not already seen. Her visions had procured her a multitude of ideas on where to find Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore. That was precisely why the Masters had chosen her for this mission. They needed her foresight in this. Apprehending the treasonous duo would be by no means what one could call easy, but she had the advantage they did not. The Force was with the her. She was the only thing between swift closure to a drawn-out nightmare and a man-hunt that could continue for years.

Mas Ameeda was not a gifted thinker. His ambition and loyalties were fed by whomever held supremacy of the time. He would undoubtedly plead for mercy at the hands of the Senate. He would protest that he was tricked into servitude, that Palpatine had never included him in his ominous schemes. It would be half-truth.

Palpatine had not sought Ameeda's assistance in the matters of galactic domination. He had used the Speaker only to keep him informed of the mumblings of those who voiced dissention. Ameeda was a scurrying rat amongst the senators, kings, and queens. A weak and blindly allegiant tool for the Sith lord's deceptions.

This was not to say that Ameeda was unaware of the precariousness of his position. He had thought of what may become of him should Palpatine's true nature be discovered or if he had lost his usefulness. He would hide and use the time of self-imposed isolation to gather as many allies as possible. He would use the reputation of his employer's evil to manipulate those who were themselves weak and afraid of the unknown. He would use intimidation in his quest for his own power.

Siri put the flimsi down on the console. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

Ameeda was a threat only for what he could do to a host of innocents. That could not be underestimated, but there would be no true cunning in the attempt to reach his goal.

The same could not be said for Sly Moore.

Shrewd and calculating, Moore was a scholar and Palpatine's closest political advisor. The Umbaran was perfectly attentive to the chancellor's plot. Moore would encrypt secret documents she would then scatter in a myriad of places throughout several worlds. She had learned a great deal at her master's side, and she was—as ever—an apt pupil.

It was Moore who pointed out the reward Sidious would obtain with taking a wife. It could not be just anyone, however. This prize would have to possess traits of forethought, uncanny instinct, and of course, tremendous beauty so as to appease his vanity. She knew their choice would also need those unique subtleties of fear, jealousy, and aggression. A gloom to feed his strength. That wife would secure him a legacy of Sith. With the obliteration of the Jedi Order, the promise of a Dark Dynasty was guaranteed. Marriage would provide a reputable and convenient camouflage for his intentions, a vulgar illusion of normality.

There was no contest in their selection. Sly Moore had been watching, waiting for the ideal candidate to present herself.

Who better to carry and bear the seed of a Sith lord than a Lost Jedi?

Sly's ambition was not for absolute power. She had no personal motive other than to observe it and record it. It appealed to her twisted intellect. The meek may inherit the galaxy, but they could never keep it. The Jedi were the perfect example of that for her. Strength was not in meditation or their pathetic sorcerer's ways. It was in acquisition, ownership. He who possessed more would have power.

Darth Sidious had a strong hold over she who had served him devoutly. Even in death. The resonance of her musings still echoed in the warning tremors of the Force. He was her ideal, and she would continue to practice his teachings. She would endeavor to carry on in his name.

Siri remained calm while she opened her eyes. She turned her head to look at her pilot, and her revulsion was gone.

He had shaved his beard. His face still bore the evidence of the trials that had prematurely aged him over the Clone Wars, but Siri thought that even the distinguished lines could not erase his boyishness. With his cheeks smooth, his dimples were apparent. His lips were still perfectly shaped, appealing kissable. He was still the most handsome man she had ever known.

_This is so much better than anything else_, Siri thought. _Just looking at him. _

She had not permitted herself to think of him for years. It would have been too shattering for her very young heart. She had not returned to the Room of a Thousand Fountains until yesterday with Master Yoda for fear recalling that day—that horrible, wretched day would again plague her. She was careful with it in her Master's presence, able to quickly release it. She had been afraid to think of it, fearing the memory of it would overwhelm her—the taste of him on her lips, his breath against her neck, and the extraordinary feel of his heartbeat as he pressed her back against his chest in that last embrace.

The certainty that his love for her was reciprocated.

It was not until their next meeting with Taly that it was clear her path could not continue with the Jedi Order. Their beliefs were too different and no matter what she did to stay away from him, that rush of love was immediate and unrelenting. He had been in control of himself, of his emotions, and had finished the assignment of Taly's protection with professional and stoic aplomb.

Siri had envied him that and yet…hated him for it at the time as well. It appalled her to know she was capable of that anger. Hadn't she relinquished any right to insult when she walked away from him? She had _wanted_ him to remain with the Order. How could she have been so childishly hurt that he had done exactly as she asked him to do?

It was little wonder that she was ripe for the Chancellor's picking. Thinking of what could have happened had she given into that anger sobered her.

Sidious was dead. His unstable disciples would soon be in the keeping of the Grand Republic. Time would not witness the demise of democracy or the birth a Galactic Empire. Siri would not be used as the brood mare for a brutal dictator, and those she loved were safe.

Time was shifting throughout the galaxy, and it was rich with fantastic potential for real greatness. The Knights had ordained a senator's husband Master. They erased a traditional code and had it rewritten. The Council was making an concerted effort to keep a collectively open mind.

The effects of that were not wasted on Siri. She had denied the sham of hope upon Anakin's nuptials, but now…

_What could we be, Kenobi? What could become of us if we just…_

Siri drew a shaky breath.

_I love you, Obi-Wan. Will that always have to be enough for me?_

"We'll be going into lightspeed soon," he told her, breaking the long silence and oblivious to her ruminations.

She cleared her throat and returned to the business at hand. "I'll set the coordinates for Eriadu."

Obi-Wan watched her key figures into a data pad, his face expressionless.

_When this is over_, he thought. _I will not let you walk away from me. We _will_ face the Council. _Together _And I will never be separated from you again_.

Siri turned around, and smiled brightly, clueless to his musings. "It's done. You may commence with lightspeed when you are ready, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan braced. "Here we go."


	9. More Trouble Here

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chapter Nine- More Trouble Here

Oryeg Tinmar was the highest ranked Non-Neimoidian member of the Separatists. Now he was prisoner number one-three-zero of a make-shift jailing facility in the gritty world of Eriadu. The events of the last few days had been a wretched experience for him. Gone were the luxuries of the life he had led as a leader of the Movement. He would have plenty of time to contemplate all that went wrong. He, along with several of his comrades, would be transported to Galactic City in a matter of hours. They would be put on the stand to defend themselves against the charges of sedition and collusion.

He knew of Gunray's surrender to the Republic. The news spread like a voracious disease throughout the prison. Tinmar knew the real story though. Gunray was a weak fool. His willingness to follow direction from a bloody _hologram_ over the years is what landed all of them in this mess. All most of the Separatists had wanted was the ability to oversee their own planets, to live their lives independent of the staunch and often micromanaging aura of the Grand Republic. They did not seek power. They sought the chance for good, more productive lives. Their star systems wanted the freedom to make decisions for themselves instead of having to go through quorums and committees amongst people who did know their environments and needs.

It really had seemed simple enough. Tinmar believed in the principles for which he had fought. It was Gunray's stupidity and greed that had destroyed everything they had dreamed of doing. He conceded that he could have done more to stop Gunray, Poggle, and San Hill. He should have taken care of the Intergalactic Banking Clan himself. He could have stood up against Lord Sidious. His life would have ended, unceremoniously and quick, but at least his family would not have to suffer the humiliation of capture and trial.

The prisoners of Eriadu were not permitted visitors, so he was surprised when a Clone guard told him he had guests. His wrists were shackled together with a chain that mirrored the treatment around his ankles. He followed the Clone down a long corridor and into a small but airy room. Two Jedi sat patiently waiting for him.

Tinmar had never met a Jedi. He was unsure how he should feel. He only identified them as such because he saw the lightsaber on the belt of the man. Would this be preparatory interrogation? Perhaps they wished to coach him. He could not know. The reputation of the Jedi Order was an often maligned one in his world, but he wanted to be able to form his own opinion. To his knowledge, they had never participated in outright murder. It was a plus in their favor that Sidious had abhorred them so.

"Oryeg Tinmar?"

He was supposed to bow to a Jedi, wasn't he? He bowed as much as his shackles would allow. "Yes."

The woman smiled, and Tinmar gaped at the sheer beauty of it.

"Please sit down, Mister Tinmar."

He shuffled over to the proffered chair and sat. They sat across the table from him, and the man nodded a dismissal to the Clone at the door.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Siri Tachi."

Tinmar gasped, and true fear rose. "You're _General_ Kenobi?"

"Yes."

"Are there more charges against us?"

"No," Mistress Tachi answered. "At least, not that we are aware of. We are not here about the Separatist Movement."

"We understand that you received a message from Mas Ameeda shortly before your arrest," Kenobi told him. "We need to know what that message said."

This was odd. Why would the Jedi come to him about the Speaker of the Senate?

His expression reflected his confusion. "I did not receive any message from the Chancellor's office. I promise you if I had, it would have been reported to you upon my arrest."

The Jedi exchanged looks between them. Mistress Tachi took a breath, and when she spoke her tone was sympathetic. "Mister Tinmar, I am certain you heard about the Chancellor. Did you hear of what Lord Sidious had planned for you—all of you—once he had dismantled the Republic?"

The thought made him shudder. "There are rumors. He placed a hit on us…the double-crossing swine."

"Yes. He never intended to give you what you wanted."

Obi-Wan adopted the same tone his partner used. "I will cut to the chase, Mister Tinmar. We are looking for the chancellor's aides—Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore. The message encrypted on your flimsi was directly linked to the Speaker. Now, our cryptologists at Temple have surmised that it mentioned something about hiding. Have you any notion what he meant by that?"

Tinmar thought hard. The codes were changed so frequently that it had been difficult to keep track of them. "I'm sorry. I do remember that he mentioned hiding, but I did not understand what I was expected to hide."

"Could he have meant a rendezvous point? Someplace to flee before the Clone Troopers arrived?" Siri inquired.

He shut his eyes and concentrated. He did not want any more trouble. Politics had made his life a nightmare. If helping the Jedi apprehend Ameeda and Moore could make his sentence easier to bear than he would do it. Perhaps his cooperation would earn him a message to his wife.

She would never understand this.

Siri felt his thoughts, and sighed. His naivety had placed him in a fix he could not escape. Her sympathy for him was real. She offered him the incentive he desired.

"If you can help us, Mister Tinmar," she said softly. "We will send word to your family that you are well."

He looked into her eyes and knew she did not lie. "Thank you."

"Can you tell us anything?" Obi-Wan eyed him tolerantly.

He swallowed. "All assembly points were dictated by either Count Dooku or General Grievous. The Commerce Guild and Intergalactic Bank were the only associates I knew to have conversations with Lord Sidious. The last place reported to me was Denuta."

"Denuta?" Obi-Wan looked at Siri, who was staring at the prisoner. "There is not much there."

"That was the point, Master Kenobi," he told him with artlessly. "All our rendezvous points were in desolate places. We were exceedingly mobile. We had to be while at war with the Republic. Gunray and Hill's paranoia kept them moving more than the rest of us, however. I suppose that's how they ended up on Mustafar."

Siri continued to stare at him, but he got the impression that her thoughts were elsewhere.

Kenobi turned back to him. "Have there been any…murmurs you may have heard, here, in confinement?"

Tinmar shook his head. "Most of my acquaintances are too afraid what is to become of them as is. You must believe me, Master Kenobi. I have no more reason to conceal anything from you."

Siri reached across the table and placed her hand gently atop his. He watched her expression change from study to serenity. "Tell us about the _plans_. Give us the panel codes."

Tinmar could not break her stare. Her fingers closed around his. Obi-Wan was fascinated by it.

Looking utterly hypnotized, Tinmar started to ramble. "The panel codes are changed every six hours, and are determined by degree of meridian and parallels to Coruscanti standard time. As of noon last Fifth Day, it was Z296X. The plans were split and recorded into separate flimsiplasts. The costs and estimates were entrusted to Poggle the Lesser on Mustafar. Construction and architectural engineering was sent to Denuta. Sidious possessed the only key to its box."

With narrowed eyes, Obi-Wan contained his curiosity no longer. "What, specifically, are the plans these flimsis are carrying?"

"I am not certain," Tinmar answered evenly. "All I can tell you is that they were dear to Sidious. The core of their content was known only to he and the Trade Four: Gunray, Poogle, San Hill, and Shu Mai of the Commerce Guild."

Siri sat back, breathing heavily. Dazed, she sprang up from her seat and dashed briskly from the room.

"Siri!" Obi-Wan called. The Clone trooper rushed in after her hurried exit.

Tinmar was out of sorts himself. He had no idea what had just transpired.

"Thank you, Oryeg," Obi-Wan uttered absently and turned to the Clone. "See him returned to his cell."

"Yes, General!"

Obi-Wan did not catch up with Siri until he made it outside of the building. The smog from the industrial city nearly choked him as moved to walk briskly at her side. Her steps were hard and determined, her eyes focused ahead.

"I gather we were finished with our interrogation?"

She didn't answer, and Obi-Wan frowned. Her expression was severe. She clearly knew something he did not. He had seen this look on her face last week when she harassed Gate Master Jurokk to allow her entry into Temple, adamant about speaking with Master Yoda.

"Siri, what is it?" he demanded.

They reached the tarmac, and the Head of State moved quickly to say passionately, "Masters, are you leaving? We had hoped you could remain for a state dinner. A celebration for the end of the war."

Siri stalked right past him and up the ramp to board their ship. Obi-Wan stopped to mollify the officer. "Thank you, Tarkin, but we must depart. Perhaps another time."

He stepped onto the ramp, and Tarkin replied, "I trust the prisoner was helpful?"

There was something about Moff Tarkin that was unsettling to Obi-Wan. He could not take the time to reflect on it now. However, he could be less than forthright in his answer. "I'm afraid not. We are returning to Coruscant."

Tarkin bowed. "I am sorry your visit was barren."

"No more than I, milord. Good day."

The engines revved and Obi-Wan had barely made it in before Siri raised the ramp and shut the doors.

She was sitting in the pilot seat, her radio gear on, and pushing digits into the data pad. He sat down beside her and worked the navigational controls.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on, Siri?"

"We have to hurry," she said faintly, as if to herself not him.

"You felt something, didn't you?"

They lifted off and shot across the sky. Obi-Wan's stomach pressed back and he let out whoosh of air, his hands gripping the armrests.

She adjusted her mike closer to her lips. She turned the COMM dial on the flat to her left. "We have to get word to Coruscant."

"We won't be within range until after lightspeed," he told her calmly. "Siri, what did you see? What did you see in Tinmar's mind?"

Siri visibly relaxed her jaw. She still did not look at him. "Tarkin is a traitor. We need to report that to the Senate."

Obi-Wan nodded, aware of that himself. "As soon as we get out of lightspeed."

_How could I have been so blind?_ She mentally chastised. _Why did I think that slime Gunray would actually come clean with everything?_

"You're not all powerful, Siri."

She finally faced him. Her tone was controlled. "You don't want to read my mind right now, Kenobi."

"You've left me no choice in the matter, Siri. You have not explained to me why you _sprinted_ out of an interrogation or what you discovered when you used, rather indiscreetly I might add, your _persuasion_ on Tinmar."

"Set the jump to lightspeed for the closest vector between Coruscant and Denuta."

With a sigh, he did so.

Siri tried sharing his calm. She managed to control her self-disgust after a moment.

"They know we're coming," she said, thwarted.

"Who?"

"Whoever is on Denuta guarding Sidious' treasure. Tarkin let them know of our arrival on Eriadu. They probably suspected we would eventually be on our way there."

"Then the trail is still warm," Obi-Wan said softly. "Siri, concentrate on what we have now. What are the plans you and Tinmar discussed? How were they precious to Palpatine?"

"Ameeda and Moore are, undoubtedly, looking for them. They're working against each other," she voiced her thoughts aloud. "We cannot let those two find them before we do."

"Find _what_, Siri?" he asked again, exasperated.

"Those flimsiplasts possess the designs for Palpatine's first and best method of peacekeeping among the empire he lusted," she told him. "A mammoth space station larger than a moon. There, he would detain traitors of the Empire and…decimate whole societies with a single blast."

Obi-Wan registered the contempt on her face as she spoke of it.

"It would be his _ultimate weapon_."

Incredulous that there was forever more disturbing news about the former chancellor's identity, Obi-Wan closed his eyes against the horror.

Her lips tightened. "He, apparently, even gave it name that would make certain everyone would be appropriately terrified of defying his will."

Obi-Wan sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose as a preemptive strike on the headache he felt starting. "What was it?"

"The _Death Star_."


	10. The Good Father

**The Jedi Change**

_Disclaimer: Star Wars not mine it is. _

Chapter Ten- The Good Father

Anakin regarded his wife's regal dress and elaborate coif with chagrin. Padmé was going to the office. His disdain for the Senate no longer existed. He had a new and healthy respect for the complexities of their work. He knew how important her post was to Padmé and would to continue to support it, but…while she was a revered Senator of Naboo, she was also his very pregnant wife.

He watched her handmaiden help her adjust the train of the dress. "I still don't think you should go."

"Ani, you know it can't be helped."

"I'll see to your transport, my lady."

"Thank you, Motee," Anakin answered for Padmé.

He crossed the room to stand before her. He touched her cheek. "Why don't I fly you there, hmm? You can train Jar-Jar on what to do while you're on maternity leave, and I can visit with Senator Ackbar or maybe Chancellor Organa. We could go to lunch later…how about going to the diner? I know Dex would be happy to see you."

Padmé smiled and pressed his hand on her cheek. "You're terribly bored here, aren't you?"

He smiled sheepishly. "A little. Not with _you_, of course."

"Of course."

"I'll get adjusted to it, angel. I'm just so used to being…"

"Always on the move?"

"Yes. Now that I'm not rushing to any rescues or flying off to some battle-worn planet, I fear I don't know quite what to do with myself."

"You're doing just fine," she said lovingly.

He leaned down to kiss her, but his son had other ideas. The baby kicked her, hard, and Anakin reared back with a grin.

"Was that the baby?"

Padmé rubbed the spot on her belly with a groan. "Of course it was the baby. I think he just tried to _walk_ out of my womb."

"Any day now," he said with cheer.

"Yes, and may I say I am ready for it?"

Anakin chuckled and hugged her. "You know, we could be wrong. _He_ could be a _she_."

Padmé was immediately suspicious. "You haven't looked, have you?"

"No, darling. I promised you I wouldn't, remember? I am as in the dark as you."

"He's a boy."

"He's a boy." He kissed the top of her head. "Lucius Skywalker."

"No."

"Not that either? Well…it was worth a shot."

She stepped away from him and headed toward the doors.

"Why don't you into the city?" she asked him. "You could spend some time just being a citizen."

"Angel, I'd get mobbed before my feet hit the ground. Maybe I'll go to Temple. I could have lunch with the Younglings. I haven't done that in a while. I could talk to Obi-Wan."

He saw the look of worry on her face and knew the source of it.

"Sweetheart, they won't call me to duty. They are of their word."

She smiled. "Okay. I'll see you this evening. I love you."

"I love you, too. Have a good day."

A few hours later…

Anakin leaned against the doorway and observed the Living Force class. When he first arrived at Temple, he had already been too old for the class. Master Yoda had taken it upon himself to instruct Anakin. It was the only time in his memory—before those days ago in session— that Anakin felt Master Yoda's decision was based on wanting to spare his feelings of ineptitude by surrounding him with those heavily indoctrinated in the ways of the Force.

When he and Obi-Wan visited Temple when he was a teen, Anakin would come to see the younglings often. They were the only group in the Order who never nagged him. The children openly adored him. The feeling was mutual.

He listened to Master Dralig's instruction for the children and absorbed it for himself.

"Trust your instincts," he said mildly, pacing and watching the children deflects stings from the training orbs with lightsabers whose blades were almost as tall as they were. "Your eyes can deceive you. Feel the Force flow through you. Concentrate on the moment…"

His own concentration broke when he finally noticed their guest.

"Good morning, Master Skywalker!" Master Dralig exclaimed. "Younglings, look who has come to see us."

There were squeals of excitement from the short occupants of the room, and many fought with their pudgy hands to move the visors of their helmets up from over their eyes. Small lightsabers clattered to the floor. Someone had the presence of mind to telepathically open the window shades.

Anakin grinned. "Hello, everyone."

Their little faces gawked at him, but they managed a greeting in unison. "Good morning, Master Anakin."

"I didn't intend to interrupt their training, Master," he said to the troll.

"We were just finishing up, Anakin," he said with a smile. "What brings you here today? I thought you were on Leave."

"I am," he said, still grinning at the expectant faces of the younglings. "I just thought my friends here would like to tell me all about their training over lunch this afternoon."

That caused a rousing cheer around the room, and Youngling Szhun asked, "Are you sitting with us, Master Skywalker?"

He bowed dramatically and the children tittered with laughter. "If you wouldn't mind."

A blonde boy, human, no more than seven years old, removed the helmet from his head and somberly replaced his lightsaber on his belt. He stepped around his classmates and stood in front of Anakin, tilting his head all the way back to look at him.

Anakin knew him, and he recognized this child from his vision.

_"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them," the youngling said after the doors shut and he could leave his hiding place, unaware of his real danger. He shook from his fear as he asked the newly-minted Darth Vader, "What are we going to do?"_

_The startled look on his sweet face remained even after Vader had slain him._

Anakin crouched down so the boy could see him without straining to do so. His throat worked against his emotions. He never wanted the memory of that vision again. "Did you want to say something to me, Ian?"

The look that passed between them was one of understanding. The boy was too wise by far. "I'm glad you're here, Master Ani. That's all."

He smoothed a hand over Ian's hair. "So am I, Ian."

Anakin stood. "Come along, children. I have to tell you something."

Master Dralig walked alongside him toward the dining hall. The children followed in a…_somewhat_…orderly fashion.

"I was happy to hear of your appointment to the Mastery, Anakin."

"Thank you. It was a welcomed surprise."

"I must admit though; your marriage stunned me."

"It stunned everyone. I'm sorry for the deception, Cin."

"It is not my place to judge, Ani. Be at peace."

"You'll have a Skywalker to train in a few years."

Dralig beamed with pride. "I heard that as well. I look forward to it, Anakin."

"Master, you do think the Council will allow that, don't you?" Anakin inquired. "You don't think they would forbid it since my son won't be living here?"

"Anakin, you are the Chosen One. Your son would never be forbidden a padawanship. Try not to worry."

"I don't…for the most part. Forgive me, Master. I've spent the last two days immersed in baby preparation. It's made my mind wander."

"Perhaps it would be good to talk about it. Mayum Kai! Do not run."

"The list is too long, Master."

"Give me the short version."

They stopped at the doorway before the banquet line, and Dralig addressed his students.

"Younglings," he began authoritatively. "Remember: the utensils _are_ necessary, and they _are_ expected to be used. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Dralig."

"You may go in. Sylvestro?"

"Yes, Master?"

"A Jedi does not use his lightsaber as a dinner knife," he declared pointedly.

"Yes, Master," the Mon Calamarian answered, head bowed.

"As you were saying, Anakin?"

"I wonder about what he'll look like," Anakin started. "Will he be as Force-sensitive as I am or as docile as his mother…"

"Docile? Senator Amidala?"

"You know what I mean. Will he be tall? Whose eyes will he have? Where will we live? Where will he go to school? Will he have my passion and his mother's strength? What will he be when he grows up? What if…"

"Whoa, Anakin. That is a lot."

"I told you." He placed a tray on conveyor belt and politely refused a cup of Hoi broth from the line server. "You must think Leave is turning my brain to mush."

"Hardly. It's a natural process, I assume. You're going to be a father. That is a great privilege and a huge undertaking. 'Tis only natural you think about it. You are going to be responsible for the shaping of your boy's character."

That was the crux of it. He didn't want Daniel—_no, Padmé would not like that name either._ He didn't want their son to suffer the same conflicts he had. He wanted to protect him from any thing that might cause him pain, and he knew that realistically he could not shield his son all the time. The things that hurt you can make you stronger. There would be lessons that he would have to learn on his own. All Anakin could do was try to be there when they happened, guiding him, making sure his boy would have the proper faculties to make his own decisions.

"I don't know if I am going to be any good at this, Master," he said after they seated.

The younglings settled down to their lunch. Between the subdued scattershot conversations and watching the Padawan Apprentices, more food ended up on the table and floor than in their mouths.

"Ian," Anakin said, reaching across the table and halting the child's awkward use of his fork. "Cut your food into smaller bites, please. You try to swallow that, and you might choke."

"Yes, Master Anakin."

Ian's tongue stuck out at the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on cutting his meat.

Dralig watched Anakin watching the boy and smiled. "I don't think you have a thing to worry about."

Anakin sighed and began to eat. "I suppose we'll see."

"Ani…when you were a padawan, I used to observe you with the younglings. You were completely at ease with them. I think you understood them more than you did your peers. You knew what it was like to grow up alone, away from home…away from your mother. You nurtured them in ways _you_ were no longer."

The troll leaned closer to add, "Be mindful of your own kindness, Anakin. You already love your son and he has yet to take his first breath. Let him guide you. You'll raise each other."

That was a wonderful comfort to hear. "Thank you, Cin."

"You're most welcome."

There was a commotion at the Masters' Table, and Anakin turned in time to see Masters Windu and Secura walk hurriedly out of the room.

"What do you suppose that is?"

"I don't know."

Anakin stopped a sentry as she passed. "What's going on?"

"There is an urgent message from Master Kenobi," she said out of breath. "The Council is convening to listen."

She ran to catch up with the Masters, Anakin staring after them.

_Obi-Wan._

Was he in trouble?

"You're on Leave, Ani," Dralig said knowingly.

He nodded.

"We will all know soon enough. Finish your lunch and tell the children of your abundant good fortune."


	11. Macabre

**The Jedi Change**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. _

Chapter Eleven-Macabre

Obi-Wan sensed it. There was a definitive malevolence here. It was that feeling that made Siri land the ship in what he deemed one of the worst towns he'd ever had the misfortune to spend time. The streets were filthy, the buildings mostly dilapidated. There were people huddled on corners under crude shelters, their clothes torn. He was startled at the clear misery entrenched here. Even with war, he had not seen such depression. The stench of waste was overpowering the air, and Obi-Wan fought nausea.

People stared with suspicious eyes at the strangers who passed them. Their suffering had made them weary of anyone new to their horrendous environment. Republicans, they were instantly judged. Undoubtedly of the Coruscanti ilk. Their wardrobes were pristinely unmarred. The male wore layers of fabric perfectly tailored to him. His boots gleamed. He carried an aura of confidence that was compelling. The woman beside him wore a black leather unisuit that fit the curves and contours of her body like second skin. Her visage was forbidding, and she wore a blaster at her hip. Her overall appearance was a direct contrast to the flawless exquisiteness of her face and delicate wisps of blonde hair that had escaped the intricate crown of braids atop her head.

Their presence was a link in a chain of unusual happenings these days.

"We have been questioning people for two hours and no one claims to have seen Ameeda or Moore."

"They have other things on their mind, Obi-Wan," Siri told him. "Unqualified destitution for one."

"There is nothing we can do about that at the moment. There is _something_ here. I have felt it."

"Yes."

"Something has happened. And not very long ago."

"Our single mission right now is to follow our intuition. Let the Force lead us to where we need to be."

"This way."

She followed him down an alley. They stopped in front of a basement door. Siri stared down at it and instantly knew what they would find on the other side of it. She walked down the shallow steps, Obi-Wan at her heels.

There was something blocking the door from opening completely, and Obi-Wan gently Force-pushed the obstruction to the side.

Siri pressed the door ajar. What they found made her head bow, and Obi-Wan swallow.

Mas Ameeda's open and unseeing Chagrian eyes stared up at them, his blue lips frozen in awe. His throat had been slashed.

Obi-Wan groaned. "I have a bad feeling about this."

♦

Soon after Obi-Wan watched Clone Troopers load the body onto transport to Coruscant, he returned to Siri in conference with local authorities.

The Denutian Inspector regarded him with disinterest. His indifference was noted by Obi-Wan because he believed its cause to be from years of democratic neglect.

"So you had him tailed?" Siri asked him.

"We have everyone who lands here without prior notice followed," the inspector told them pointedly.

"What of the ship that recently departed? Do you know who was on it? What about their cargo?"

"I know nothing of that. As I'm sure you can see, our resources have been deeply strained. Our police force is perilously under staffed."

"We are not here to trouble you, Inspector," Obi-Wan replied. "It is imperative that we learn as much as we can about Ameeda's presence here. Your assistance would be appreciated."

"Then you'll be on your way, your visit here forgotten." The inspector was filled with scorn. "My people will not benefit from any information I give you. You will return to your lives on Coruscant, and we will still be here fighting for our survival, again ignored by our wealthy counterparts. I have no reason to cooperate with you when we have known nothing of your compassion."

"Your situation has not been ignored, Inspector," Siri said. "We do not have the wherewithal to provide relief to you now, but once we return to Coruscant we will address the Senate to your impoverishment. Aid will be sent to you."

"We have been told that before, miss. Your army fought here. Look around you! There is nothing of any substance left. You've brought your clones here, more mouths to feed! Where was the aid upon _their_ arrival, hmm?"

"The plague amongst your people will only prolong if you do _not_ tell us what you know, Inspector," Obi-Wan explained, heatedly. "Mas Ameeda has associates who pose a very great threat to your existence. What they have done to him is only a sample of what they are capable of. We cannot help you if you do not first help us. You must understand that. This is not a intimidation. That is fact."

They faced each other for several moments, deliberating the sincerity of the other.

The inspector was resigned to speak. "There is a small, single-floor building on the east side of the city. It was used as a bunker for the Trade Federation during the war. It used to be the library. Ameeda was followed there."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan touched Siri's arm to lead her away.

She hesitated and said, "We'll do our best to help you, Inspector."

He clearly didn't believe her. He turned his back on her and walked away.

♦

The Library of Denuta bore scars of battle. It had probably once been a magnificent place of study before the invasion of the Trade Federation and consequent Grand Army. Windows had been blasted away, and the bricks were charred. The structure held, however; the siege upon it apparently abandoned once the Grand Army of the Republic had realized their quarry had fled.

Clone Commander Ward walked inside the building first, his blaster drawn. He gave the signal for entry after a few moments and flanked by Clone troopers, Obi-Wan and Siri followed him.

"Send troopers to the back exits to guard the perimeter," Obi-Wan ordered.

"Yes, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan looked at Siri. She was beside him, but her mind was on the assignment. "R4 made the transmission to Coruscant. Master Windu is already on his way to Eriadu. They should have Tarkin in custody by nightfall. We may have another lead on Sly Moore soon."

Siri was not listening. She was focused on the library.

The interior belied any sign of struggle or contest. The aisles and stacks of books remained intact. Siri surveyed the room for any visible indication of clutter or incorrectly arranged books and there was none. The digital archives seemed to be untouched. There would have been many places to conceal plans for the _Death Star_.

There was no evidence to it, but Siri knew Sly Moore had been here. And something…intangible. She sensed the dark spirit of someone else. Its essence was strong and mysterious. The sensation was oddly familiar to her, and she did not know what to make of that. The pall of the Dark Side had vanished with the deaths of Dooku and later Palpatine, but this…This would require meditation.

Obi-Wan thought aloud. "Sly would not have had much time to make her escape. There has to be something we are overlooking."

He calmed himself, not wanting to let his frustration overwhelm him. "I'm going to walk around. Maybe there _is_ a basement or an attic."

Siri nodded. "I'll check the stacks for clues."

The clones that accompanied her left her alone, standing with their backs against wall and silently standing guard.

Something was wrong. Something was _terribly_ wrong. Siri went up and down the aisle, scanning each row of materials and nothing looked out of order. There was something in this building that prevented her from centering herself. The clones made no sound and Obi-Wan had left the room, and she still could not think. She could not reach into her mind to piece things together.

There was that echo again, that whisper of warning. She was supposed to find something in here, she knew it. There was a deliberate hint left for her. She leaned back against the shelving and closed her eyes.

_All right, Sly. Show me what you've got._

"Excuse me, Mistress Tachi."

Siri turned to Commander Ward. "Yes?"

"General Kenobi is downstairs. He asked me to come get you. He found something."

Siri followed Commander Ward to a hidden door in the wall slightly ajar.

"It's dark and the steps are steep, so be careful."

"Thank you, Commander."

She felt for the wall and made her steps slow and sure. She squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness.

It was a large room with a desk wall built on the long side and turning a right-angle to the next. Six monitors blipped along control panels and key pads. There were holographic maps hovering atop a long, wide table in the center of the space. The machines were what lit the room; The red hue made what was possibly a strategy bunker eerily sinister. The overhead lumieres and wall sconces had been shattered. Data disks had been scattered on the floor, and broken flimsis littered the consoles.

Siri could make out monitor frames high on the walls.

Obi-Wan walked over to stand at her side. His expression was grim. His gaze bored into hers.

Her throat was suddenly tight, her mouth dry. A chill came over her.

Siri wet her lips. She pointed to the wall above the console. "Do those hologram screens turn on?"

Obi-Wan leaned over and pressed a button.

Siri gasped. A multitude of her images were displayed. Time stamps played over each frame.

So they had been watching her.

She couldn't tear her gaze away from the images.

"Sly Moore was here, Siri. So were the plans. She did take them," Obi-Wan said quietly.

She steadied herself and replied with logic. "Just because there are pictures of me here doesn't mean so were the plans for the _Death Star_. Ameeda could have…"

"Siri." Obi-Wan reached into his robe to pull out two glimmer sticks. "Sly Moore cannot abide most forms of light. Her office was often kept dark while she worked."

He snapped the sticks in his hand.

Siri's eyes widened. Scrawled with NeoPaint over the monitors, over her images, was a message from Moore.

ONCE AGAIN THE SITH SHALL RULE. YOU WILL NEVER FIND ME, INFIDEL.

On the center monitor, over Siri's smiling face were the words: TRAITOROUS JEDI SCUM.

"Siri…"

"Get the R4 unit in here," she muttered hoarsely, her eyes flaring. "We're going to scratch every bit of evidence in this joint."

The expression on her face was vicious, and Obi-Wan frowned with concern. "I'm going to _wreck_ that snake. Once and for all."


	12. Conception

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twelve-Conception

_Senator Padmé Amidala stood out alone on the balcony of her luxurious apartment at 500 Republica and from the distance watched the twin fighters land outside of the Jedi Temple. A small skiff followed suit. A dull, familiar ache caused a shiver through her, and she smiled. _

_Her husband had come home._

♦

_Mace Windu had the details of Yoda's misadventure as well as the intel on what had transpired on Kenobi and Skywalker's reconnaissance. The Jedi Temple had fallen quiet with the twilight. The Council had adjourned. Yoda received well wishes and congratulations before excusing himself to his meditation chambers. Masters Windu and Kenobi remained in deep conversation. Anakin watched them and wondered how much longer he would have to stay. He needed to check the Senate roster. He would find out where Padmé had gone on Life Relief Effort and send word of his arrival home. Send _anything

He missed her so much!

_"Senator Organa explained that the responsibility of preservation of the Republic should remain among the people," he heard Mace tell Obi-Wan. "You can imagine how well that played on the Senate floor."_

_"His intentions are good," Obi-Wan said quietly. "He likes this situation no more than the Jedi. He's made no secret of his reluctance to concede any more power to Palpatine." _

_"He would serve herself more if he practiced some discretion," Mace sighed. "Alderaan cannot afford to lose a good politician. Senator Organa's remarks may be construed as incendiary. Perhaps with Senator Amidala's return, the tension may be eased."_

_Anakin started. "Excuse me, Master." He had to be careful_. Be mindful, Skywalker. _"I take it Senator Amidala has completed her mercy mission?"_

_Obi-Wan bowed his head and turned away. Master Windu answered, "Queen Jamilla found it best that the senator return to Coruscant. She believes it will make the transition between she and the new Queen of Naboo smoother." _

_Mace turned back to Obi-Wan. "Politics, I still find beneath the Jedi, but I must admit--I do feel that Senator Amidala's presence in the Senate is beneficial to both the Republic and us."_

_"I agree," Anakin said, deceptively indifferent. "Senator Organa responds well to Senator Amidala's counsel."_

_Expressionless, Mace said, "I'm certain you'll wish to question the senator about her travels, Master Kenobi."_

_Anakin looked at Obi-Wan warily. He wanted to dismiss the quick prick of jealousy to stab him. He had always felt uncomfortable with the cavalier attitude each master had utilized in their references of Padmé to his master. Why were they so sentimental about that relationship? Was it not attachment? Why was it natural to them that Obi-Wan could care for Padmé, but he--her _husband_--could not? And exactly how much did Obi-Wan care?_

_He took a deep breath against his foolishness. He was letting his frustration get the better of him. The Council did not know the truth, and if they did it would hardly please them. He thought of the fallout. The disappointment, the disgrace. For all of Obi-Wan's dedication and discipline, Anakin thought that his master probably did know of his deception but that he simply chose to dismiss it. _

_Then he told himself it couldn't be. Obi-Wan was a Jedi to the marrow of his bones. His love, if he could call it such, was for the Jedi. His allegiance to the Order was paramount. _

_"Skywalker. You are dismissed. Get some rest. The Council will reconvene early for debriefing."_

_"Keep your COMM link open, Anakin."_

_"Of course, Master." _

_Anakin formally bowed and managed to make a dignified and unhurried exit. _

♦

_It was quiet in the enormous and airy apartment at 500 Republica. Anakin stepped through the dark spaces, familiar with every piece of furniture, every corner. It felt so good to be there. He stopped for a moment in the artful living area and simply breathed in the scents of what he considered home. Technically, the apartment was not his. It was Padmé's. It belonged to her. It was exclusive, for not so much as a pillow was his. They shared nothing but themselves. Nothing in it belonged to the Skywalkers. Possessions were forbidden to the Jedi. _

_Anakin tried not to care about that. All they needed was a private place to celebrate their love. So much of their lives were secret, stolen moments, but this place was their sanctuary. They didn't need the chair or the sofa or the crystalline lumieresticks that were a gift from Senator Organa and his wife, Queen Breha of Alderaan. _

Well…the bed is nice, _he smiled to himself_.

_He thought of the luxury here and knew she had earned every stick of wood, every stem of glass in it for all her work. When Padmé had been directed by the Jedi council to accept the proffered appointment by Queen Jamilla of Naboo as Life Relief agent of the Republic, Anakin had scoffed at the politics that could be pushed on even a charitable position. He…couldn't _appreciate_ the Senate. He still thought they were nothing but a very large group of petty squablers. The idea of Padmé renewing membership in that dismal club appalled him. Yet she hadn't changed, and there were a few kind people she associated with that brought him peace of mind, namely Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa. They were in complete understanding of her obligations, and they were sensitive that she never be put in the middle of political debate and Jedi. That was no easy task._

Whirl, wheep, beep beep beep.

_"Quiet, Artoo." He put his finger over his speaker. "It's me."_

_The stout astromech droid was silent but his top light blazed bright in recognition. He beeped quietly._

_"It's good to _be_ home, Artoo," Anakin whispered. "How fares our lady?"_

_ Whirrrrllll, whorrrlll. _

_ Anakin grinned and kneeled down to be level with their loyal friend. _

_"Well thank you for watching out for her, Artoo. Could you do us one more favor?" He lowered his voice to an conspiratorial whisper. "Will you keep C-Threepio busy for the rest of the night? I would like to have some time to…talk…to Padmé privately. This, of course, requires your resolute and utmost discretion. Can I count on you…?"_

_Artoo bounced excitedly from side to side._

_ "Good." Anakin patted its domed head and straightened. "Thank you, Artoo."_

_Anakin walked stealthily into the bedroom. The massive, silk-covered bed was almost difficult to resist. His weary body demanded his body rest, but his heart…oh, his heart!_

_Sleep could come later. Right now, he needed his wife._

_"Welcome home, Commander Skywalker."_

_He turned toward the doorway to the atrium and saw her. _

_The nightgown she wore was chaste and concealing, this the one area of her wardrobe that lacked ostentation. It could not be considered provocative. It was the smile on her lips, the glint in her eyes that was alluring._

_Anakin was so hungry for the mere sight of her that he couldn't move. He just let the joy of her flood him, inexpressively moved. He let the sound of her voice wash over him like a cool baptism. It had been so long since he had last touched her that his hands shook with the need for the feel of her skin. He had not felt as unsure of himself since that first night, their first time, in the lake country on Naboo._

_Padmé abandoned her act of coy seduction to run into his embrace. The look in his eyes was heartbreaking, and she sought to ease that telling look of torment from him. _

_Her kiss was gentle. _

_"Anakin," she breathed._

_His arms were tight around her, and she cooed in his ear, stroked his hair. "It's all right."_

_She touched his face, looking deeply into his eyes. "It's all right."_

_Anakin continued to stare at her, almost as if he could not quite believe she was there. Padmé took his hand, the one of durasteel, and led him to the bed. She then raised his hand of flesh to her lips. _

_"I am here, and we have tonight." She kissed his palm. "I love you, Anakin."_

_He nodded mutely, and watched her kiss him, letting her soothe his aching heart and tired body in the way only she could. _

_That night, his sleep was dreamless._

♦

The Jedi Master stalked down the corridor with swift, single-minded direction. Members of the faculty working this floor of the Med Center were, needless to say, surprised at his presence. Questions were hissed back and forth, the gossip mill already running water over the seeds of why he was in the Maternity ward.

The Jedi Master's _wife_ was having _contractions_.

There were still shockwaves throughout Coruscant from the news that the Jedi hero was wed. There was downright apoplexy at the news said-wife was the Senator from Naboo. To add insult to injury or glee to the romantically awed—dependent on your point of view—they were having a baby.

But not today.

The Anakin of the Clone Wars would have burst into the room and demanded answers. He would have shouted, glared, and abused his knowledge of the Force to get what he wanted. He would have let his besotted adoration for his wife rule his intellect.

He had not even been called. His COMM link never so much as vibrated to alert him to this. Were it not for the fact that he had yet to touch his meal, he would have thought the slice of pain across his torso was brought about by the cooking at Temple.

That piercing blade of agony was his wife's. He had rushed out of the dining hall to the certain bewilderment of his friends and hopped into the closest speeder, frantic to reach Med Center.

Anakin, behaving in the manner befitting a Jedi Master, opened the door to the hospital room. Calmly, he noticed the various machines attached to Padmé's person. The medical droids went about their business, and Padmé looked at him. Her smile was strained and more than a little guilty.

"You felt me, didn't you." It wasn't a question. Her discomfiture heated her cheeks.

He took a deep breath and strove to keep his tone cordial. "I could have felt that on Tatooine."

"We're fine, darling."

Anakin turned to the droids. "Tell me what happened."

"I…"

The look he gave her closed her mouth.

"The senator," the droid said slowly, "came in with abdominal pains…"

"Just one," Padmé pointed out. "_One_ pain."

Anakin put his hand over her mouth to gently silence her. "Go ahead, doctor."

"Upon examination, we have determined the contractions to be false."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Padmé moved his hand away from her mouth. "It means it was false labor."

Anakin looked down at her on the bed with total skepticism. "If this is false labor what, in the name of the Force, will true labor be?"

"It is completely natural to experience such twinges in the days before true labor starts, Commander Skywalker."

"Twinges?" he mocked curtly.

"Yes, sir." Incapable of human feeling or determining their behavioral nuances, his sarcasm escaped the droid.

"Yes, Ani. It only means that real labor is almost here," Padmé explained. "I didn't want to take any chances with it this time, so I…"

His gaze narrowed on the expression of mishap on her face, her eyes wide. "What do you mean 'this' time?"

Padmé wet her lips and looked away from him, uneasily.

Anakin took another deep breath and said patiently, "Padmé…"

Oh, she hated that tone! She raised her chin and met his gaze. "It happened once before."

"When?"

This would be the tricky part. She knew he might blame himself, but she would not have him believe it was his fault.

"The morning of the Jedi Briefing to Senate. It was at Temple," she told him.

He absorbed that and slowly nodded. "You were looking for me."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "It was nothing, darling. I hardly felt it."

"I was meditating with Master Yoda. I didn't feel you. I worried you needlessly." He sat down into the chair beside the bed. "I'm sorry."

His reply was sincere. She knew that. He looked at her, but there was no thread of self-inflicted fury that would have precluded all else to him a year ago. Most women would have found that reaction from him hurtful, but Padmé was relieved. She knew it was because he was finally accepting the things he could not change—even this. She was safe, his family healthy. He could regret nothing.

He read her mind. "I know."

Now he did look pained. "I'm maturing."

She grinned. "Obi-Wan will be so pleased."

Anakin could not help but grin. He leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"At least he isn't here to gloat."

She beamed with happiness. "Ani, this is so exciting!"

"Yes, it is, angel."

"And just think, we'll be able to experience it together."

"I'll be right next to you. I wouldn't miss it for all the stars in the galaxy."

Her smile turned mischievous. "You'll be the only man to ever experience childbirth."

She touched his furrowed brow. "Add that to your list of accomplishments."

"I don't understand."

"Anakin." She leaned closer. "My beloved empath, if you felt the contraction this morning was bad, I wonder how you will manage labor and delivery."

Anakin blanched.


	13. The Lone Candle in the Dark

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

Chapter Thirteen- The Lone Candle In the Dark

Twilight over Galactic City was always beautiful. There was still the hue of the sun, bright and magnificent, but it was balanced by the mysterious shadow beauty of the oncoming moon. The blending of the two never failed to take Anakin's breath away. The celestial magnificence of it was powerful, deceptively so. The parallel it made to behavior—human or animal—had never escaped him.

The charade of civilization thrived in the blaring light of day. But stepping out of the light and into the darkness, you could hide several sins, could relish in that practice. Unleash the rages or pain you concealed under the glaring rays of the sun. The night was your cloak, your mask. Its obscurity your ally and the only protector of your most secret urges.

It could last forever if you could bear the cold.

Anakin gripped the railing tightly, taking a deep breath. He could feel the heavy hammer of wrath and smell the sick stench of spilled blood. In his mind, he saw the nightmarish melee. The image was marred by his uncertainty. He did not need to see the face of the wrath. He knew who wielded it.

And in the distance, he heard Obi-Wan's voice. He could make out plainly the stricken look on his master's face and feel the terror in his heart.

_Obi-Wan screamed for her. He ran as fast as his suddenly paralyzed legs would carry him. It was her essence that spurred him in this direction, and he was losing it. Losing _her_. He could feel her blood flowing profusely from her body and knew a grief unlike anything he'd ever known. _

_Her name was a roar of anguish. "Siri!"_

Anakin closed his eyes and fought back the anger. He controlled his breathing and let the Force course through his veins. He was not helpless. He was not omnipotent. He could not allow his emotions to enslave him. He would not let the darkness take him and seduce him into entering a battle that was not his to fight. He would trust in the Force to guide his friends to safety, and he would trust them to follow Its hand.

But, _by the stars_! It would not be easy.

Padmé approached him quietly. She placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"Anakin…What is it? Tell me."

He wanted to lie to her. Obi-Wan and Siri were as much her friends as they were his. Lying would bring her peace of mind if he could not.

But it wouldn't be fair.

Anakin sighed and looked at her. "It's Obi-Wan."

"Have you felt something?"

"I saw it." The answer was quiet and filled with resignation.

Padmé nodded in understanding. "Is he hurt?"

"No. Not yet anyway. I would have felt it."

"Anakin, would you like to tell me about it?"

"No," he whispered. Then he met her gaze and said, "But I will."

Padmé followed him off the veranda and into the living room. She sat next to him. The vision hadn't left him. She could see that in the distant look in his eyes. He was sitting beside her, but his mind was wherever Obi-Wan was.

"There is a disturbance in the Force," Anakin said quietly. "A chill."

After these past years—these past _weeks_—Padmé believed she had a reverence and appreciation for the Force that could rival that of a Jedi. She knew Anakin was deeply entrenched with It and that this would be a very serious discussion. She could only hope she had the strength to carry It as well as her husband.

"They're in danger, Padmé," he told her. "Siri is in terrible danger."

Padmé thought of her friend, alarmed. "Will she die?"

Anakin shivered, but answered, "I don't know."

"Padmé, I need to tell you about the day I spent with Siri before I killed Palpatine," he said with candor.

He faced her fully. "She called me to her, to her apartment. She used the Force to do it. When I got there, she immediately took my hand and led me to the couch."

Anakin picked up Padmé's hand and held it. "She told me what she suspected of Palpatine and begged me to listen to what she had to say. She told me everything I later testified to the Senate. She explained that he wanted to make me his apprentice. He had been manipulating my subconscious, forcing my dreams to make me pliable to his will. He would allow me only those flashes of the future. I saw nothing in my slumber that he did not want me to see just yet."

Anakin heaved a ragged breath. "There was a path he wanted me to follow, and it did not include you…or the baby. It was why he never showed me killing you."

Her deep amber eyes widened. "What?"

His head bowed with shame, then he shook it. "The details are irrelevant now. What she said to me made me see what I could have been. I had a choice to make. I could stand in the sun with my wife by my side, or I could be trapped in darkness for the rest of my days."

Anakin told her everything. Explicitly. She refused to let it hurt her or him. It was over. That was what mattered.

Tears came to his eyes. He felt Siri's heart right now. It beat steady and strong, but it was filled with self-righteous fury. And fear. He could feel her fighting against herself, the fear mobilizing her anger, heating her aggression. She didn't know how to fight it. Her own advise was going unheeded.

"She's afraid, Padmé. She's so afraid, she can't think."

Powerless to help him, Padmé could say nothing.

Anakin brushed his eyes with the back of his hand. "The Dark Side is a perilously state, Padmé. It destroys reason and punishes pleasure. Its evil is patient. It can ravage the soul and cultivate madness. It uses what you hide beneath your skin…inside your heart… and feeds on it to make you the very thing you seek to eradicate in others. It deceives you into thinking the light is an illusion. Your joys are your sorrows."

He was silent for a moment. He took the hand he held into both of his, raising it to his lips.

"Siri taught me what the dark really is."

"What is that?"

"The coward who bullies. The Dark Side only wins when we give in to it. It's strong; it's powerful, and it can be consuming, but in the core of it is a significant weakness.

The hope of love. Just that flicker of light can keep it away. I had you. You are my light, Padmé."

She smiled through her tears.

"Once I held that, I could defeat the demons…the dragon inside me. I let all my anger, all my hatred and jealousy go."

"And you worry that Siri cannot."

"Siri has faith in the Force, but buried deep inside of her is the fear that It has forsaken her," Anakin replied. "She would not give up on me. She knew I could be redeemed because my love for you was greater than anything else. There was someone holding a candle for me."

"She doesn't know she has that," Padmé cried. "But…I thought…Obi-Wan might…"

"She doesn't believe it."

Padmé inhaled deeply and her posture straightened. "Anakin, if you want to leave…to help her, help _them_, I totally understand."

"I will _not_ leave you now," he whispered vehemently.

"But Anakin…"

"Master Yoda once said that the only ally he required was the Force," he told her. "'And a prevailing ally it is.' He's right. If I go, I might only be bringing about the visions, Padmé. The future is always difficult to truly see and equally impossible to understand.

Siri has got to face this choice herself. I had to in Palpatine's chambers. She has to…wherever it makes itself known."

"But Obi-Wan, Anakin…if anything happened to her it would…"

"He's always be in accord with the Force. He will do what he must."

It sounded callous especially to _his_ ears. "I cannot aid them. I would be failing her. I know you don't understand that, but you have to trust me. I have to focus on right here and now. With you. Obi-Wan and Siri…they have to meet their own destiny. No matter how much I wish I could carry it for them."

♥

Obi-Wan watched Siri try brutalizing the bolt into place until he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Here. Let me try it."

Siri shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "I've got it."

To say she was testy was a tragic understatement. Their day in Denuta had been an eventful one but unproductive. The Republic had lost a crucial witness in Ameeda, and they hadn't a clue where Sly Moore had taken off to with the plans.

All they knew was Siri was clearly a new target, and a game between she and the Umbarian had begun. It was a game Siri had no hope of winning if she continued in her present state. She needed clarity if she were to find Moore. Now, there was nothing but anger.

He had to admit he felt some of that himself.

Name calling was juvenile, and that was not what raised his ire. It was knowing that they had watched her, had noted her every moment. They had raped her privacy in their plot to make her one of them—an agent of twisted vice. They made her every moment of happiness into something vile because she knew now that they seen it, had probably mocked it.

Obi-Wan wanted desperately to bring her some semblance of comfort.

They had left Denuta and traveled to Commenor for the night. He had explained to her that they needed to rest and refuel. It surprised him when she didn't argue. He had a litany of logical prevarications prepared in his mind.

In truth he just needed some time away from their mystery. He wanted to focus on getting her to talk to him. He needed to know what she was so afraid of.

"You're not going to find Sly by pounding on the mech panel."

She blew a lock of hair out of her face. "Leave me alone, Kenobi. Go meditate. That's what you like best, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan sighed. She really was in bad shape if her responses were reduced to schoolyard lashing.

"She's baiting you, Siri," he told her softly. "She wants your anger. She wants you to be unfocused."

Siri shook her head, her back away from him and jeered, "You don't know anything about it."

"I know that anger leads to fear," he answered, walking toward her. "Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

She whirled on him with fiery temper, throwing the hyperspasm across the room.

She pushed his chest. "You know _nothing_!"

She pounded him once. "It wasn't you they were _stalking_!"

She walked him backward, pounding again. "It wasn't you they _hunted_, believing you so _weak_ and _selfish_ that you were one of them!"

She pounded a third time. "It wasn't you they thought so _desperate_ that you could be made a _monster_ in order to feel in control, to find out who you are!"

She was so irate that she started crying. "They knew _you_ aren't _pathetic_ and needy!"

She pushed him and pushed until her fingers twisted into the fabric of his clothes. "They never trusted you were so ridiculously _lonely_ that you would believe _anything_ to feel you _belonged_ somewhere!"

Obi-Wan let her abuse him. "Siri…"

She shoved him back into the wall, her chest heaving. She snatched her hands away, ripping his tunic open from throat to chest. The tear of cloth echoed in the room, but then the expression of her face altered dramatically. Her brows knit, and her gaze softened to one of wonder. She was staring at something on his chest.

He knew what she saw. He didn't have to look.

Her throat worked, and she pointed a trembling finger at him.

Her voice was an hesitant rasp. "What is that?"

Obi-Wan waited until she raised her gaze to his.

"It's a warming crystal." He confessed. "_Your_ warming crystal."

Her swollen eyes blinked furiously. "What…? I lost that."

It was time he told her the truth. If they had any chance of happiness, he would have to release his own doubts, his own fears, and grasp the opportunity when it presented itself.

"You _thought_ you lost it in that crash with Magus," he corrected her.

He reached to the back of his neck and brought the simple leather string up over his head. He held it up for her, the blue stone suspended on it catching the light and bathing them in a wonderful kaleidoscope of soft white light.

"I found it in the wreckage."

Siri was awed. "You found it in the wreckage?"

"I was going to give it to you, but…"

"But what?" She looked at him expectantly.

"I knew I probably would not see you again unless our paths crossed on another battlefield, in service to actions beyond our control," he said softly, staring into her eyes. "I wanted to have something of you, Siri. I know it was wrong. I know it was not the Jedi way. But it was all I would have, and I…needed it."

A sob escaped her as she touched the stone. "Why?"

"I love you."

Siri gasped and stared at him, incredulous. She stepped back, and he stepped forward.

"I love you."

She shook her head vigorously. "No. No, you couldn't. Not now."

He led her back this time. "Yes, I can. And I do. I loved you nearly twenty years ago; I loved you three years ago. I love you now."

"No," she denied, heartbroken. "You don't know me, Obi-Wan. Not any more."

"Siri, you are so much more than you think you are," he whispered lovingly. "You are none of the things you accuse yourself."

The door way stopped her retreat, and he continued his gentle blitz.

"You are bright, strong, loyal and possess a great capacity for joy."

His hands shook as raised them to cradle her tear-stained face.

"But you want to know why I love you? What it comes from?"

Siri exhaled brokenly, her eyes drifting shut, her cheek resting on his palm.

"Your stunning compassion."

She could feel his breath on her lips as he leaned closer.

"It's your staunch generosity, your beautiful kindness," he said against her mouth. "I love you, Siri Tachi. I will love you always."

She opened her eyes and what she saw in his made the weight on her heart lift.

Obi-Wan stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"_You_ are my destiny."

He kissed her.

"The darkness can only have you if you let it."

He kissed her again, and this time Siri molded her lips perfectly to his.

And that night, in a starship anchored on a strange world, secluded from its inhabitants, and sharing the sleeping berth blissfully in the arms of the man she had loved passionately for years, Siri Tachi finally found some peace.


	14. The Road To Hell

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Wars characters. Many thanks and respect to Jude Watson, though. Some paragraphs contained herein make references to passages in her book, "Secrets of the Jedi", and I bear no malicious intent.

Dear Friends Who Read This Story: The best is yet to come. Please stay tuned.

Chapter Fourteen- The Road to Hell

Yoda walked off the boarding ramp of his ship and met C-Threepio on the veranda.

"Good evening, sir."

"Good evening."

"We were not expecting you," the droid said, not unpleasantly. "I will let Master Anakin know you are here."

Yoda leaned on his gimer stick. "Know he does."

Anakin stepped out into the moonlight, his expression grim. He thought he knew why his master was paying a visit.

"Master," he said quietly. "What news of Obi-Wan and Siri?"

Threepio bowed to the Jedi Elder and said, "Excuse me, Master Yoda. Sir, if you no longer require my assistance I'll shut down for the night."

"Thank you, Threepio," Anakin absently replied, his eyes on Yoda.

"Offer refreshment, will you not?"

"I…of course, Master. Please come in."

Anakin stepped over to the serving cart and poured some of water into a cup. "Have you heard anything from Master Kenobi?"

"Where is the senator?"

"Queen Breha of Alderaan has recently arrived on Coruscant. Captain Typho escorted Padmé over for a visit to the Chancellor's new residence in the penthouse ."

Yoda nodded. "Private speech we require."

"Of course, Master."

Anakin noticed the fatigue of his master. He would know its cause.

"This mission of Siri's and Master Kenobi," he voiced quietly. "A mistake it may be."

Anakin's calm expression did not change. "You have felt the disturbance in the Force as well."

Yoda was unpracticed in counsel with the Chosen One. He once had his doubts about Anakin's role in the Prophecy. That, of course, had changed in light of recent trials. He no longer had any questions of the young man's integrity or faith. Anakin could be trusted without reservation. He also recognized that this young, courageous man was undoubtedly struggling with his desire to remain home with his pregnant wife or go to help his friends. Yet he was calm, his body relaxed and waiting—patiently—for his master to speak.

Yoda had never come to him before, and it humbled Anakin that he would now. The venerable Jedi Master sought guidance…from _him_.

"Selfish, I was, putting them together."

"You, Master?" Anakin looked on him fondly, his voice even. "You are never selfish."

"Strong I am with the Force." Then he sighed, "But even I must know my limitations. Wrong, I was, to put them together on this."

Anakin told him, "You would not have chosen Siri for this assignment if you did not believe her capable, Master. Second-guessing yourself will only make you worry without real cause. Siri trusts Obi-Wan. You knew that. It was only natural that you decided they be paired."

Yoda now had a second regret. That it would come so swiftly after his first was cause for meditation.

How they had all misjudged Anakin. How maligned he had been. The boy was good. And very wise. He understood it was the will of the Force that had made the events such as they were. He had made his peace with that.

Yoda would now have to make _his_ peace with _him_. He would need to tell Anakin the true tale of his woe. It was time he practiced what he had so often preached.

"These things you say, true they are. Their mission critical it is, but my intentions were selfish, Master Skywalker."

He met Anakin's stare. "For my atonement it was."

Baffled, Anakin whispered. "I don't understand."

Yoda breathed deep. "Old am I. Set in my ways. Determined I was that the old way of the Jedi was the only way."

"Master, that may have been true, but it isn't now. Look at what you've done with me. You and the Council have allowed me to stay with the Jedi Order when you could have discharged me. It would have been your right. I broke codes, yet here I sit with you—Padmé's husband and a Jedi still."

"Happy for you I am. Truly. Proud, too. Learned from you I have, Master Skywalker. Want for Mistress Tachi, the like. So, paired her with Master Kenobi I did."

Treading carefully, Anakin asked. "Why?"

Yoda's keen eyes narrowed. "Protect them from me, you need not. Know of their passion, I do."

"Yes, Master."

Anakin would not voice his thoughts aloud. He doubted Yoda would understand the depth of that passion, and he would not betray a confidence he could not know for certain existed himself.

Anakin cleared his throat. "You mentioned atonement, Master. What do you believe you have done to warrant it? Siri left the Order, against your wishes if I remember correctly. You have nothing to regret."

"Regret, I have. Amassed them of late. Many years ago, I advocated the end of a romance between Siri…and your former Master."

Feelings. Tremors in the Force. Those were what had led Anakin to _suspect_ that kind of history between his friends. But that had only been delivered recently. He recalled that for years they would not share the same space together for long. Their conversations were short and succinct, discussing only what matter of travesty they fought at the time. He had wondered about how their teaming up for assignment could be strained. There was no animosity between the two, but he had always understood their relationship a strictly professional one.

Faced with the prospect that there was so much more to it intrigued Anakin.

He had been so consumed with his own identity that he had been dismissive of the fact Obi-Wan was as human as he was Jedi—intrinsically sensitive to all his emotions just as his padawan was. Padmé had seen it and had said as much to him. But he shrugged it off, stating that Obi-Wan was too stodgy and controlled by Jedi discipline to ever comprehend what passion motivated by love was.

It was selfishness that denied the possibility that Obi-Wan could have understood what he was going through. It was arrogance that made him think he was better than his master for having that secret life of delight with Padmé, and it was misbegotten pride that made him think Obi-Wan's lack of it made him weak.

He wondered now how differently things would have been had he confided in Obi-Wan. Would Obi-Wan have told him of his experience? Would it have mattered?

How that could have ended their damage to one another before it seeded.

Anakin shook his head. He could not go back. "They were in love?"

"Are in love," Yoda declared. "Years changed that have not. Master Qui-Gon told me of his padawan's newfound conflict. Sensed it he did in Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon advised him then to me he was sent."

His mind drifted to that morning in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. "I kept what I was told to myself. Come to him that day a member of the Council, I did not. Advised him I did that sacrifice a Jedi's life demands. That no reward would there be. Young Obi-Wan did not want to hear counsel from his Master. He knew what he would be told and was torn with the knowledge. Change the rules, the Jedi would not. Alter precepts we would not. Not for him.

Explained Qui-Gon that he and Siri would be heartbroken, but that in time such pain would pass. Leaving the Jedi Order, a much bigger tragedy."

Anakin knew that option well. He had greatly misjudged his mentor. "And you gave him the choice—he could abandon his love for Siri to continue on the Jedi path or leave and be uncertain he made the right decision."

Yoda nodded. "Qui-Gon and I left the two of them alone there. Trusted, Qui-Gon did his padawan would do what the Force dictated. Watched their exchange, I did, from the portico."

The scene Yoda held in his memory had never played again until the night of Skywalker's destruction of the Sith and his admission of marriage.

"Terrible it was," Yoda whispered. "And I was not aware then, unnecessary."

Anakin was again respectful of all he had in his life, and just how fortunate he was.

"So they parted."

"And would not mention it. Neither did I."

_I would have never had the fortitude to sustain a life without Padmé_, Anakin thought.

To Yoda, he said, "They remained with the Jedi and went on with their lives."

"Courageous and loyal, they are."

"Master, even after Siri left the Order she continued to serve. She was there, fighting with us, through the Clone Wars. She was the one who showed me where my anger and fear would lead me if I stayed on that path to darkness.

And Obi-Wan did what he could to raise me in the way of the Jedi. It was not his doing that I behaved as I did before my enlightenment. Is that why you seek atonement?"

"Injustice I imposed. Proved more than anything could, what the heart can accomplish they did. Owe them I do."

"So you have put them together and…"

Anakin grit his teeth against the torrid memory of his vision. Master Yoda's desire to correct what he wronged could lead to an even greater destruction than he had ever anticipated for those he cared for so deeply.

Pain. Terror. _Loss_.

It was a like irony he would have experienced had he took the title of Sith with Sidious. He would have perpetuated the slaughter of his own love. But that decision would not be placed in Siri's hands. It would be made for her.

"Know not, I do, if she will die," Yoda told him.

Anakin shook his head. "Neither do I."

"More to tell you I do."

"This…this is not your doing, Master. This is up to the will of the Force."

Anakin could feel a flicker of fire in his chest. The dragon he suppressed was stirring.

He took cleansing breaths. "We do not know of the future. Our fears may very well be pointless."

"Underestimated I have the reach of Darth Sidious," Yoda continued.

"Sidious is dead, Master. He cannot harm anyone."

"Sly Moore there still is."

"Sly Moore is a paper-pusher with no Force influence—light or _dark_."

Yoda sat in thought. "Know you do not the whole of Siri's experience with Sidious."

"I know all I care to," Anakin replied hotly. "All I need to. He pursued her. He wanted to use her as a beard for his delusions of grandeur."

"Hired her I did to infiltrate the Chancellor's inner circle."

"I know that, Master. She worked him well and everything has turned out as it should have in his regard."

"Too deep her cover was, Anakin. Enormous her task. Seasoned her it did."

"I know what you're thinking, Master. Sidious is no longer here to pull her strings, and Sly Moore is no threat to her."

"Tender Master Tachi's self-esteem was. Ripe for Sidious' seduction. Years she doubted her worth, her value with the Jedi."

"And you think that is because of something _you_ did?" Anakin asked, incredulous. "Because of something that happened twenty years ago? Master, that is preposterous. Siri doesn't harbor resentment. She's incapable of it. She loves you!"

Anakin tried to soften his tone, to center himself. Losing his temper would serve no purpose than to create more misery for himself and his friends.

"For me, Siri studied the Dark Side of the Force," Yoda whispered. "Told her it did that she was weak. Her loyalty to the Jedi and to the Light Side of the Force undeserved. Her love for Master Kenobi pitiful."

Anakin was immediately to her defense. "She submerged herself in that nightmare all the while reporting to you about what was going on. She was so effectual that Sidious failed to feel it. Her knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force was kept in-check by the Light."

"Yes," Yoda conceded. "But suffer she did in its violent hands."

Anakin had to know. "What was the nature of her personal relationship with Lord Sidious?"

Yoda thought back to all his clandestine meetings with his former apprentice. As the years had past and the war progressed, he remembered watching her battle more than Sidious but her melancholy. She could conceal the depth of her attachment to Obi-Wan from all, including Sidious, but not from him. Every day he saw it grow stronger and richer, her effort to prove her love could exist with the principles of the Order had never been lost on him. She would do as requested and gather the means to defeat their common enemy, and then respectfully request a favor in turn.

Oh, he knew what she was trying to do. Siri held hope that the rules would change one day, and she could confront Obi-Wan with a chance to pick up where they had left off, that they could share their lives. If he was still so inclined.

_How cruel I was to dismiss it_, Yoda thought. So indifferent he was in his single-minded determination to crush the Sith, that he ignored the fact that he and the Order were themselves using her. It wasn't a conscious thought, but it was there. He should have sensed that about himself.

"I am not sure," Yoda professed, ashamed. "Concentrated on you, protecting the Prophecy I did."

"Master, Palpatine undoubtedly played with her vanity." Anakin leaned his back against the sofa. "I have witnessed no indication it took with her."

He groaned his frustration. "There is something ghastly going on, I sense it. I know it has something to do with Siri, but I can't put my finger on it. I felt suffering. I felt wrath, and earlier I thought it was hers but now…There is something else, and I am completely witless to what it may be."

"Only when we are calm, when we are at peace will we get a clearer impression."

Anakin was silent for a moment but when he spoke again, his tone was filled with sympathy. "Obi-Wan…he does love her."

"Spoke with him before the mission I did. Told him what the Council requested…what I mandated. To assist her on assignment he is."

"Do you think he suspected your motives?" Anakin answered his own question. "Of course he didn't."

"Why would he?"

"True enough, Master." He rubbed his weary eyes. "This whole conversation is surreal."

"Seen I should have the danger in this."

"The danger is not in what you set in motion by reuniting them, Master, and we cannot change what _is_. Our visions are just…visions."

Anakin wanted desperately to believe that.

"Time they have to cement their bond. What I wanted, yes. Exercised caution in that…I have failed. Their essences are changing," Yoda said soberly. "Merging into one."

Anakin turned to Yoda with patience. "Then they will at least have that to hold onto. You would deny them that? Now? You could stop them, Master. You could call them back to Coruscant, and they would return. But Sly Moore would still be out there…somewhere…wreaking havoc.

What's done is done. We must wait. "

"Joy, Obi-Wan took in this assignment. Told me he did not. In his eyes it was. Understands now, he does, what she has done to preserve the Republic…matured she has become. True Jedi she is. To be with him."

The implications that everything his friends had only now discovered in each other may be for naught hurt Anakin tremendously.

"Stop, Master," Anakin pleaded. "Please."

"Prepare we must for the shroud of the Dark Side to possibly return."

"Siri is strong with the Force. I trust It. She will handle whatever confronts her with her faith."

"Meditate further I will."

"No matter what happens, whatever Moore throws at her, Siri _will not turn_."

Yoda straightened in surprise.

His eyes wide, he said, "Her succumbing to the Dark Side not what I dread."

Anakin gaped. "Then why have you come to me with this? Told me what you have about her and Sidious and his abuse of her senses if you do not think she could become the next Dark Lord of the Sith?"

"Because now, Master Kenobi has seen her darkness and given her light. What he tried to forget has gained new memory and what they have now, precious beyond reason to him."

Yoda stood, his shoulders hunched. "To lose her now would..."

Anakin straightened, his blood turning cold.

"Destroy him," he murmured, distraught, closing his eyes.

The dragon in Anakin growled fiercely.

_Obi-Wan pounded on the defenseless body relentlessly, his fury vitally merciless. "Where is she? Where. Is. _She_!"_

Breathing harsh, Anakin despaired.

"Obi-Wan."


	15. The Impossible Dream

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars characters.

Chapter Fifteen- The Impossible Dream

Siri listened to the evenness of her breathing, her blood humming through her veins. Her soul had sung with soothing melody, but it was silent now. She heard nothing outside of herself. She remained still, her eyes closed, and released her state of consciousness. She floated on clouds and drifted in the sea. She let the Force pour over her.

There was so much beauty in life. It was more than where you lived, what you owned, but in how you chose to sustain it. Siri had always known that. It was a matter of keeping it in practice. The span of life was too short to waste on things that would rob you of its purpose.

No one was preordained to evil. Everyone would face their own troubles. It was up to the individual to discern whether or not to allow desolation to own them. She had presented that to Anakin and was proven correct in her prediction that he could prevail against his demons and accept what life—a true, real life—could provide him.

She'd been foolish in her perpetuating the notion it could not be the same for her. Obi-Wan was right. The darkness could only take her if she allowed it. She could not let Sidious' teachings or his madness shape what she did or who she would become. There had been good reasons for leaving the Jedi Order, but that did not make her less a servant for the Light. A Jedi's strength flowed from the Force and when you are submissive, it grows.

So she had surrendered. Siri embraced peace. She found calm. Her body rested and her spirit was rejuvenated. She was strong. She accepted her own well-used knowledge of the Force and now she would not fail It.

Profound happiness was achieved. All she had hoped, everything she dreamed could happen had once she forfeit the pain. She had not accomplished it alone. There was grace in that. Selfishness had been impossible in Obi-Wan's embrace. Anger had no ammunition against the touch of his hands on her. The tender consummation of all they meant to one another was a testament to the Light and of all she would be.

There could never be sadness in it. There could not be regret. If she could take this last night with her and crystallize it, she would hang it as a talisman around her neck, just as Obi-Wan wore her warming gem. And should the sound of thunder be heard in the distance or the cold of night be too much, it would serve to remind her of what it was to be complete. She knew no shame in it. Admitting that Obi-Wan was tantamount to her preservation with the good side did not prick her pride.

Siri no longer had time for conceit.

_The echoing groan of dueling lightsabers…spurts of blood…burning hatred… _

_"It didn't have to be this way…"_

The task of destiny's fulfillment was a curious thing. A weaker woman could proclaim it often cruel.

Siri did not. Everything happened for a reason. The scenes of her meditation offered her no explanation. She would have to experience it. She would use what the Force offered to guide her decisions and follow Its course of action.

She opened her eyes and turned to look at the source of her life's treasure. He slept soundly beside her, utterly beautiful to her.

She'd had always found him handsome. This was different. As she looked at him—his hair tousled, his lips swollen from her kisses and his body gloriously revealed to her—she found him utterly devastating. She was so used to ignoring her craving for him, it was peculiar to know now she didn't have to.

The ecstasy of being with him was enchanting. Tears sprang to her eyes as she moved a lock of hair from his forehead. His promise of a future together, strengthened not only by his words but sealed with the bond of flesh, had fortified her resolve to removing the Dark Side forever from their existence.

_His_ existence.

A cry escaped her. She pressed her fingers to her lips to still them. He breathed in and tucked her closer to his chest. His eyes never fluttered. Even in sleep, he wanted her near him. It was already habit.

The Jedi was in love.

She would allow herself only a moment to grieve for what was to come.

Obi-Wan was strong, trained well, and in absolute harmony with the Force. She knew he would recover from what ever was to transpire tomorrow, and it would make him an even more powerful Jedi.

He held her tighter, turning into her, unconsciously nuzzling her neck and finding the spot he'd said earlier was the sweetest.

Siri kissed his brow.

_Forgive me for what I must do, my love. I'm sorry._

†

Obi-Wan woke as he always did—slowly and reluctantly. Still, the smile he wore was genuine. He would have thought it all a dream—that impossible reoccurring torture that had plagued him for years—if he wasn't so thoroughly spent. He reached for her and his arm hit the mattress. Frowning now, he opened his eyes.

His lover of one night was across the room, already dressed and twisting her wet hair into a braid.

He sat up and groaned. His back ached and his legs felt like lead. The athletics of last night clearly indicated he'd used muscles he had no previous experience in exercising. The knowledge would have distressed him if he didn't also feel its exhilaration. It was incredibly life-affirming. They would have to do that again.

Grinning, he rubbed his eyes and tried to adjust to the light.

"Good morning," he called to her.

Siri pulled up her remaining boot and turned to face him.

Her thunderous countenance of the day before was gone, but there remained a hint of sadness. He hoped it was not generated by what they had done.

Then as quickly as he noted it, her rueful expression was gone. The smile she gave him was nothing short of incandescent. "Good morning."

Relieved, he crossed his arms on his bent knees. "Why are you all the way over there?"

His thoughtful expression was telling, and it made her blush.

She walked over to the bed and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.

Disappointed, Obi-Wan turned his head to instruct her on the proper way to do it, but she stepped back.

"How are you?" he asked softly, taking her hand.

Siri tried to gently free it.

"Wait a minute," he told her. "It's bad enough you haven't kissed me. Don't make me stop touching you, too."

Siri said nothing, her expression serene.

"Talk to me. I want to know how you feel."

_Free_, she thought. _But worried_.

"Very well," he grumbled. "I'll tell you how _I_ feel."

He beamed at her. "I feel invincible."

She traced his brow with a fingertip. "You are."

"And…?"

She leaned over and touched her lips reverently to his. Their kiss was long and filled with meaning Obi-Wan did not suspect.

"You make me very happy, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You always have."

Without further ceremony, she stepped back.

"You should clean up," she told him. "We have a lot of work today."

He tried not to sigh his disappointment. He stood up from the bed and dropped the sheet from his waist. He wouldn't complain. He was too content.

He reached into an overhead compartment for fresh clothes and a towel.

It would go against his nature, however, if he didn't at least remark, "If this is the 'afterglow' I've heard raves about in passing, it is grossly overrated."

Siri chuckled. "You're very pleased with yourself, aren't you."

"You love that about me."

She made no pretensions of respecting his privacy and watched him prepare for his bath unabashedly. Obi-Wan didn't seem to be particularly inclined to reprove her for it. Modesty had been enthusiastically misplaced.

"What is the rush, anyway?" he asked, stepping into the refresher stall.

Siri hesitated, hearing him turn on the water.

She certainly didn't wish to rush to her fate, but the choice was not hers.

"Are you anxious to fly about in circles?"

She cleared her throat and spoke louder for him to hear. "I know where Sly is."

"Did we get word from Coruscant of Tarkin's interrogation?"

"I saw it."

"Where?"

"My morning meditation."

He poked his head out the stall door, soap in his hair. "Morning meditation?"

"Yes."

His brow arched. "We shared the most exultant night of our lives together and, while I snored, you meditated on the _mission_?"

This was a side of him Siri had never known. Playful and silly Obi-Wan.

He obviously had not sensed her thoughts. While she was thankful he had not been disturbed by her pondering the oncoming fight, she could not stop herself from wondering how he would react to the news later.

When she could not aid him.

She would not break the spell for him. They would have too little more time together. He would have good memories.

"Get going, Obi-Wan," she called. "And wash your bruised ego down the drain before you get out."

Obi-Wan grinned as he sluiced water over his face. The sharpness of her tongue had returned.

Towel around his waist, his head and torso dripping wet, Obi-Wan stepped out of the stall. "I do not have an ego."

He snatched her into his arms, nuzzling his face against her neck, and making her squeal with laughter. "Obi-Wan!"

He kissed her, bending her back. "If I have an ego, it's your fault."

"Let me go," she giggled. "You're soaking wet. What has gotten into you?"

Obi-Wan hugged her, inhaling her scent. "I feel like holding you just now. Duty can wait a bit longer."

She would not disagree. He could hold her to his heart's content.


	16. Padme's Turn To Speak

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Sixteen-Padmé's Turn To Speak

"Good morning, milady."

Motee looked out to the veranda. She already knew what captured Padmé's attention.

"Anakin has been out there all morning."

"He's been out there all _night_," Padmé told her.

"Is something amiss, milady?"

Padmé turned to her handmaiden and sighed. "Nothing here, Motee. Don't worry."

Her loyalty now with the Jedi Master as much as her mistress, Motee replied, "Is there anything I can do for him? Should I contact Master Kenobi?"

"No. No, Motee. He'll be all right."

_She'd make certain of it. _Padmé set her tea cup down on an end table.

"Please let Chancellor Organa know I shall be late for committee."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And Motee?"

"Yes?"

"Take Threepio with you."

"Yes, ma'am."

Padmé walked out onto the veranda and sat beside her husband.

He was not in meditation. He stared out unseeing to the skyline.

"You have been up all night."

"I couldn't sleep."

She stroked his hair. "You _wouldn't_ sleep."

He said nothing.

Padmé sighed. "What did Yoda have to say?"

"Threepio has a big mouth."

"Not Threepio," she said. "Master Yoda is not known for making social calls to Senate residences, love. I knew as soon as he landed here."

"He wanted to talk to me about Siri and Obi-Wan."

"You told him of your visions."

"Yes."

"He has had the same?"

"Yes."

"Anakin," she whispered. "I know you're worried about Siri and Obi-Wan. So am I. You truly think they're in mortal danger?"

"I _know_."

He sounded so defeated. "Was there more?"

"I…last night I was so angry I almost got into my ship and left to find them."

"But you didn't."

"I couldn't even take a moment to congratulate myself on the fact that I didn't," Anakin told her.

"Because now your calm is greater than your mischief."

"Not by anything I have been conscious of. I felt the impotent rage building inside me, but I wasn't afraid. That is a start, I suppose. I was irritated that it wouldn't let me think. I was racking my brain searching for a solution to Obi-Wan's situation, and it wouldn't shut up."

"Pushed back the darkness, did you?"

"Obviously. I am here."

He turned to her on the chaise and smiled. "Right where I should be."

"Tell me what Master Yoda said to you."

He could not. It was one thing to reveal his own thoughts and feelings to his wife. It would not be his place to disclose Yoda's.

"It's all right," she tried to smile.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to shield me, you know." Her voice filled with regret. "The Senate should have taken responsibility for the capture of Mas Ameeda and Sly Moore."

"It is the duty of a Jedi to…"

She shook her head. "Our reliance on the Jedi Order has made us lazy, Anakin. We have been spoiled. Ameeda and Moore have no Force powers. They had no special gifts to use against us."

"The Republic hasn't the means for bounty work, angel."

"And why is that, Anakin? It is because we have become complacent, used to the Jedi coming to our rescue. We have the tools for strategic intelligence. We haven't used them."

"Padmé, you could not have done anything to stop a Sith Lord on your own," he tried soothing her.

"Perhaps not, but we can stop his minions. There were several in the Senate who lost faith in Palpatine's ability to lead the Republic. You knew of my suspicions. Bail mentioned last night that he wanted to establish a task force to search for and investigate Palpatine loyalists."

Anakin's already wealthy stock of respect for the new Chancellor raised several notches. "That's a good idea."

"I have spoken to Jar Jar about returning to Naboo. We may have something in the archives there to give us some indication of where to start."

"Chancellor Organa has a plan in mind?"

Padmé nodded. "He has requested a meeting with the Jedi Council this morning."

"Then my COMM link should be abuzz any moment now," he said with a sigh. "I'll be one of only three in physical attendance."

"You think they will call you in on Council?"

"The Order is spread thin, Padmé. An official member I am not, but I am available for them. Most of us are scattered hither and yon."

"Has there been any word at all from Obi-Wan and Siri?"

"Not that I know of. Master Yoda said the last he had heard from Obi-Wan was yesterday regarding Tarkin."

"Anakin, are you going to be able to stay here and do nothing when you sense that…?"

"I will do what I must," he stated flatly. "That is all I can."

He stood and went over to the railing. "I…I cannot give in to my fear, Padmé. May be that is selfish. I cannot trust myself yet. Not completely."

He turned to face her again. "I don't like what I saw. It's agonizing to realize that I cannot stop it, and I can do nothing to help them with what is coming."

He grit his teeth. "It's the darker instincts that come immediately to join you in a fight. I cannot…"

Impatient, Padmé stood. "Anakin, when are you going to see that there is more to you than your anger? Hmm? How much longer 'til you see the true heart of who you are? You are not destined to pay continual penance for what you have done in the past. It's over. You cannot go back. You can only go forward."

"You don't understand, Padmé…"

"Stop telling me I don't understand."

She stepped closer, temper in her eyes. "You think that because I am not a Jedi that I don't know you? I know you better than anyone. I have seen your darkness myself.

"I was there with you when you found your mother. I was there when you killed the Tuskens. I have witnessed your jealousy, your possession, and I stood with you. I _stayed_ with you because I knew that you were more than that.

You are human, Anakin. You take issue with the knowledge that you not only feel, but you feel too much. How can you find such distaste with the inherent part of your character that should be the most celebrated for a Jedi?"

"Padmé, even compassion can be the shadow of the Dark Side when your need to protect those to whom _you are attached_ hinders your ability to think clearly."

"Then don't let it!" She took his hand in hers. "Is this a strained humility you practice? Wanting to comfort the people you love is _not_ arrogance. Why must it be either/or with you? What makes you believe that you cannot be one with the Force _and_ save our friends? What possible motivation in the scheme of life would necessitate this? You destroyed Palpatine. The way of the Sith is abolished.

Anakin, the core of your strength is your devotion to the Light Side of the Force. The fact that you're willing to stay here and let the Force guide them to whatever horrible destiny It has in store for them is proof enough that you are in control of your emotions, but darling, you may be misguided.

"Siri helped you when you were at your most vulnerable, and Obi-Wan is the closest you have to a father. Next to your love for me is your affection for them!"

"It is not up to me to determine their destiny."

"Look at yourself today, Anakin," she said with desperation. "You are _ripped apart_. Now, I want you to think about how much worse you will feel knowing you sat idly back and allowed their suffering. What happens once they return to Coruscant?"

Anakin turned away, his jaw working.

Padmé took a breath to calm down. "Anakin, I know you think you're being tested. Maybe you are. Maybe the Force is giving you another lesson: when to heed it and when to diverge on the path. You have always said that no one can ever truly understand all the ways of the Force."

She placed her hand over his heart. "You are the Chosen One of the Jedi Prophecy. Maybe the test is that you determine what the best route is to bring the Light."

_Remember the Living Force…Fate is uncertain, Anakin. Not necessarily dangerous…Do not center on your anxieties. Concentrate on the here and now…Be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the moment…Your focus determines your reality…_

_Your focus determines your reality_. Qui-Gon's words echoed repeatedly in his head.

He turned away from her, his thoughts erratic. He wondered what Yoda thought now of the words he had given Anakin just a couple of short weeks ago regarding premonitions of the future.

"_Fear of loss is a path of the Dark Side. Attachment the shadow of greed that is. Death is a natural part of life…rejoice in those who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not…"_

The sadness of his Master the night before had left vibrations in the Force. Anakin doubted Yoda had ever considered that his own words would come back to haunt him, too.

Anakin had thought Yoda of no use to him then. At the time, his fear had been losing Padmé. He had dismissed Yoda's advice as pious babble, but now…

There were Qui-Gon's teachings. There were Yoda's.

Then there were the teachings of Obi-Wan and Siri. Theirs was the middle road. The path he'd yet to walk.

Could Padmé be right? He could not interfere, but maybe he could use his energy in balancing the Dark with the Light.

Padmé sighed and conceded her argument. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm sorry. I am not angry with you. I just…They are our truest friends, Anakin."

Looking at his stoic profile, she whispered, "They need a candle."


	17. Before I Sleep

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Seventeen- Before I Sleep 

Not too long ago, Knight Skywalker would have been anxious for the first opportunity to exit Temple. His preference was for anywhere the Council did not watch his every move, and Obi-Wan could not nag him. He could not stand the stifling mood of the place that had housed and educated him. He knew what the Council had thought of him, felt their mistrust of him.

He had not appreciated what he'd had. Now all _Master_ Skywalker wanted to do was stay and remember.

He had shared quarters with Master Kenobi those years before the trials and his subsequent Knighthood. They spent nearly every waking moment together. Their times apart were those times allotted to Anakin's schooling and meditation. Their lives were routine. They would wake early, and Obi-Wan would prepare a simple breakfast of fruit and animal protein. It was Anakin's responsibility to clean up when they finished. The late afternoons were spent with saber training—one on one. That had always been Anakin's favorite part of the day. Obi-Wan, for all his blustering, seemed to enjoy it, too. The company of each other was genuinely preferred.

The first year was not a pleasant memory. He had tried to fit in with his peers, but it had been a strain. He was considered far behind them in training. The entire process of adjustment from the life of a slave to the life of a Jedi had been difficult to bear. He'd be in turn excited, then dejected. The loneliness was overwhelming at times, but then Obi-Wan was there—watching him, coaching him—and on the nights when the ache of missing his mother was almost unbearable, Obi-Wan held him while he cried.

Obi-Wan knew of his trouble sleeping as the years passed. Anakin kept his master up many nights on watch for when he slept, his rest was fitful. They would talk about the things that disturbed him and seek resolution together. When everyone else seemed indifferent or dismissive of Qui-Gon's declared protégé, Obi-Wan was patient and understanding. It may have been for his promise to Qui-Gon, but Anakin believed it was because he truly cared.

When he married Padmé, the master/padawan relationship changed. The secret eating away at him so much would make him lash-out at his mentor for the smallest offence. Their camaraderie became tense at times, and spiteful. He had desperately wanted to tell Obi-Wan the truth, but of course he could not. That he could not share his happiness with his best friend tortured him. He grew more and more resentful of his master over _his_ deception.

The clarity that came with hindsight was brilliant and blinding. He knew now that had Obi-Wan known the truth, he would have done everything he could to protect Anakin. He would give way for him as he always had in everything else. Obi-Wan had his own secret—his attachment to Anakin, the boy he had raised to manhood.

The padawan he loved and called brother.

The last time he saw and spoke with Obi-Wan was here. Right in the spot where he now stood. Their parting had been jovial and familiar, in tradition of what was known throughout the galaxy as the Jedi's Go-To team. And that was what they were—a team. Kenobi and Skywalker. The Republic's best chance at victory during the Clone Wars, and the Jedi Order's prized pupils.

Anakin closed his eyes and reached into the Force for so much as a glimmer of his master.

There was none. He could sense the pulse of Kenobi's life-force, but he had no clear reception of what his master, friend, and mentor was feeling.

He would have to be patient. He would have to have faith that Obi-Wan would continue to do the right thing in the face of enormous loss. Obi-Wan, like Siri, had never given up on him. He would return the favor.

Anakin did not know what else to do.

†

When the Council met with Chancellor Organa, there had been no mention of Obi-Wan and Siri. Their assignment was known only to the three Jedi in audience and Padmé, because Anakin would not lie to her. They had not informed the Senate. The Council had made the decision based on the fact that Organa had worked closely with Palpatine, and his position was too new and unbalanced. The newly-elected leader of the democratic republic would have a hard transition as it was.

The assessment, as ever, was not a personal one. Bail Organa was a regal man with a keen intellect. He was also honest and fair, the antithesis of his predecessor. He had come to Temple many times in the past to speak with the Jedi, their opinions dear to him. He respected them. His support was appreciated and reciprocated.

The Jedi would turn over their investigation to the Senate only once they had something definite to report. Right now, they had nothing.

_Nothing_.

Anakin was rubbing his tired eyes with his fingers when he heard the call of his name.

"Commander Skywalker."

Anakin turned around. "Hello, _Chancellor_."

Bail Organa smiled. "You and I need no formalities, Anakin. I hope."

"Congratulations," Anakin replied. "I was happy to hear of your victory in the vote."

"Not as happy as I was of your victory," Bail told him. Solemnly, he continued, "I haven't had the chance to thank you, Anakin, for what you did."

Anakin waved off his gratitude. "I appreciate that, Chancellor Organa. But it is not necessary. I am far from a hero."

"I think you do yourself a great injustice, Commander."

Bail changed the subject. "And congratulations are in order for you as well."

Anakin cocked a brow. "Oh?"

"You and Senator Amidala," Organa chuckled. "Your marriage, your baby."

Preoccupied, his smile was perfunctory. "Thank you, Chancellor."

"Anakin, I hope you know you can trust me to…"

"You are a good man, Bail. I have every faith that you will serve the Republic as you always have—faithfully. You have my support as well as that of my wife."

"Thank you, Anakin. Do you think Master Kenobi will return soon?" Bail grinned. "I trust the restoration efforts in the Inner Rim will not prevent him from attending the birth of his future padawan."

Anakin nodded dutifully, ignoring the pang of despondency he felt. "No, it wouldn't."

"I would like to know your opinion on what I proposed to the Jedi, Commander. Do you think it will be sufficient?"

_Ah, yes. The task force_. Anakin had kept his thoughts to himself while Council was in session. He had preferred to hear what everyone else had to say before expressing his views. The Chancellor would introduce a bill on the Senate floor requesting funding for a non-military committee whose sole purpose was to examine any possible threat to the freedom of the Republic.

"Your idea is good."

"But?"

"Forgive me, Chancellor. I'm afraid politics is not my strong-suit. It is an arena I leave completely to my wife."

"I understand, Commander, but your opinion I want. Just the same."

Anakin sighed, stopping in his tracks and turning to Bail.

"Chancellor, you're not going to be able to sift through the riff-raff and find any real threats unless you are willing to also bend the rules. That would require you infringing on the rights of the people. Rights you have sworn to defend."

"Any constitutional decisions I make in such matters would follow a legal process. I am not looking to add numbers to the enemy. I will follow the logical, legal means available to me. And then _only_ if there exists hard-evidence that it is a true threat. Every case will be addressed in counsel with the Senate and, dependent on nature, the Jedi."

"Then I can ask for no more."

Bail nodded. "I was glad Shaak-Ti agreed to serve as ambassador for the post."

"She's perfect for it," Anakin replied. "Her prior assignment was guarding Palpatine."

"So this is a step up."

"It's parsecs up."

Bail laughed. "It's really nice talking with you again, Commander."

"And you. If it hasn't been done, I would like to thank you also for what you have done in service to the Order. The quick-response from you and Mon Mothma undoubtedly spared the Jedi more conflict immediately after Palpatine's death."

"That pleasure was ours, Commander. Order Sixty-Six would have been a blow to _all_ of us."

"Your loyalty is valued."

"We still have a long road to recovery," Bail said. "There's so much to do. I don't think I have had a decent night's rest in weeks."

"I know what you mean."

"Well, Commander, if anyone has earned the right to some quiet it is you. You should enjoy your time off with Padmé. Get some rest."

"I, like you, have a lot on my mind. Sleep may not come for some time."

Bail shrugged and attempted humor, "Then the narcolepsy to strike us all should provide some entertainment for the masses."

He sighed. "Were you told of the body's disposal?"

Anakin knew what he meant. "Master Yoda explained you cremated it. Your respect for human life is extraordinary, Bail. That you gave Palpatine any service at all is to be commended."

"I cannot let you think I am that noble, Commander. There was nothing at all altruistic about that service. My motives were completely selfish. I, Mon Mothma, General Ackbar and the rest of the Delegation of Two Thousand wanted to see for our own eyes that he could never again return to wreak havoc.

"We could not trust anyone else to handle it. We certainly were not going to ask the Jedi to bring the body to Korriban." Bail shook his head with thought.

Anakin raised his head and said, sharply, "What?"

Bail didn't see the startled expression on the commander's face when he answered, "There was thought to taking the body to Korriban for burial. It is where several Sith are entombed. I just…I could not do it. That is a horrible place."

_Of course!_ Anakin thought. How did he not think of that? _That is_ _where Sly Moore is!_ That damnable planet was sacred to the Order of the Sith and a perverse shrine to their evil. We remembered hearing about it as a child.

Korriban was the single planet in the Horuset system. There was little life form there as it was strong with the Dark Side of the Force. So steeped in darkness it would easily hide the presence of one of its own. Any member of Light—a Jedi—would be unable to detect for certainty an actual physical presence there. Sensing an ambush would be next to impossible, Jedi attackers could come from any direction and their presence would be cloaked by the very air of the planet.

_Your focus determines your reality, Anakin_…

_That is where Siri was taking Obi-Wan_, Anakin thought. _She knows it is a trap Moore is executing. She has accepted her destiny and goes to meet it._

_But can she see Obi-Wan's future? _

_No, _he thought soberlyNo. She couldn't possibly. If she had, there would be no way she would willingly walk into it. As she had fought for Anakin, fight harder and violently she would to protect the man she loved from the darkness.

_You do not make the choices for others, Anakin_. _Have faith you must in the will of the Force._

Yoda's instruction to him as a child was followed by one of Qui-Gon's rebellious nature.

_Yes, the Force guides us…but we may also guide It. Learn to concentrate on what you do—here and now. Tomorrow, duty shall take care of itself…_

Padmé whispered_. "Maybe the test is that you determine what the best route is to bring the Light." _

Chancellor Organa frowned with concern. "Commander, are you all right?"

Anakin woke from his reverie. His expression was grim. "Bail, would you tell Padmé that there is something I must discuss with Master Yoda? I'll be home as soon as I'm finished."

"Of course."

"Excuse me, Chancellor."

Anakin bowed and walked briskly down the corridor, up the stairs and onto the concourse of the second floor.


	18. The Heart of ObiWan Kenobi

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Eighteen- The Heart of Obi-Wan Kenobi 

"It's not that I don't trust your instincts, Siri," Obi-Wan told her. "But to what avail would Sly Moore hope to accomplish there?"

"Study, Obi-Wan. She's an academic. She wants to complete her education of the Dark Side."

Siri shrugged. "Maybe she hopes to gain power from the mummified remains on Korriban."

Obi-Wan made a face. "That's morbid."

"Well, it has been established that Sly isn't exactly drinking from a full-cup, Master Kenobi."

The gush of air to leave him was exasperated. "Do you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"Siri, you have seen me in my altogether..."

"I'll say…"

"I have kissed you in places that have never been bared to sunlight…"

"Very skillfully, too…"

"You have…_embraced_ me in ways we shall write manuals about…"

Flattered, Siri fumbled the controls. "Oh…Well. Thanks."

"You have shared the greatest of intimacies with me," he continued to ramble. "You may cease calling me 'Master'."

Her grin was self-satisfied. "It is _for_ those things I call you Master."

She laughed, watching his face first flush then color again. He really was darling when he was flustered.

He sighed. "You're baiting me."

"Successfully, I might add."

"We'll have to return to that topic later." He removed the straps to his chair, and rose. "I'll try sending a message to Temple."

"Do not forget to give Master Yoda the coordinates we've deduced."

He bent over the pilot's chair and her upturned face.

"I am not new to this." He kissed her briefly. "I'll be back in a moment."

Obi-Wan left the cockpit and walked down the short hall to the COMM closet beyond the sleeping chamber. He stood on the hologram plate but waited to depress the button for activation.

He was nervous. He needed a moment to collect himself. He did not want Siri to sense his unease and sending necessary word to Coruscant would also provide him refuge.

This journey to Korriban filled him with a sense of… trepidation. Vague. This visit would end badly. He felt it. They hadn't the time to meditate on it. The thought of Moore eluding capture again frustrated him not only for the extension of the mission it would require, but that it would also prolong the settling of he and Siri's personal issues. He had never been presented with a problem such as this. Previous missions were not personal. This one was no different except that now there was a very real, very selfish, very _private_ reason to want it done. To return home quickly. He wasn't certain how he was supposed to manage it.

Twenty years ago Obi-Wan created a lie. He had fortified it three years ago. The lie was enormous, but it harmed no one but himself. He had convinced himself that his attachment to Siri was his impetuosity of youth, a personal rebellion against the Order. He refused to feel her rejection. He did as she bade him and had never mentioned it again. She had walked away. He could, too. He did not really love her. It had only been a mild flirtation. He would never leave the Order for a teenager's crush or to prove a point.

Then he would see her and everything he had told himself was an illusion would strike his heart with a vengeance. No Jedi was perfect, and he was no exception. The strength of his friendship with Anakin had made it abundantly clear to him that he was defined by his attachments. He would not have deserted Anakin, and it was a ridiculous joke to think he could have ever forgotten Siri.

His first thought upon word of Anakin's marriage was not of disbelief. It was not disappointment. It wasn't even happiness for his brother. It was what the confession would mean to the Order. It was the door it opened. The marriage and the Council's acceptance of it showed him his lie was now unnecessary.

Obi-Wan had gone to Siri's apartment, impatient and wanting to gauge her reaction to the news. He shook his head at the memory. Anakin had been there seeking solace in her counsel. He had barged in, unthinking in his excitement that she may have company, and found them holding each other. He had put two and two together and came up with thirty. He had embarrassed them and himself with his crude accusations. He was eternally grateful that she had forgiven him for them.

The episode had drilled into his head why there was so much training against attachment. So, he returned the next evening to apologize and ended up falling in love with her all over again.

He understood now the anxiety Anakin had always felt on their assignments. Divided attention aside, Anakin had managed to do his duty. Expertly and timely. It was no wonder—he wanted to go home to Padmé. His love for Siri had intensified overnight, and it flooded him with all the wonder of passion it entailed. His appetite for her would never be satisfied.

But it was more than the fire the joining of their bodies had generated. It was more than the primitive connection stemming from their desire and infinitely more treasured. It was the meeting of their souls. It was that moment of shared consciousness, when he could feel the beat of her heart in tandem with his, when he knew with every particle of his being that he could never be whole without her. That there would never be anyone else but her for him, and he could not deny it ever again. There could be no other life for him than one with her.

Obi-Wan bore no guilt for the events of the night before. He couldn't. Perhaps it had not been the will of the Force, but they would cross that bridge if they came to it. It had been the happiest night of his life, and he would know more of them.

He urged his body to relax. He must concentrate. He would not think of the future, but right now. The sooner they grabbed Sly Moore and the plans for the _Death Star_, he could get back to his ruminations.

He pressed the button. "This is Obi-Wan Kenobi with a message to Coruscant. Temple, do you copy?"

Shaak-Ti answered, her image floating before him, "Master Kenobi, have you news from the Inner Rim?"

_Inner Rim?_ He nearly forgotten the depth of his cover.

"Er, no, Shaak-Ti. But if Master Yoda is available I would like to speak with him privately."

"Of course. He's in chambers with Master Skywalker. I'll patch you through"

She disappeared and was immediately replaced by Council chambers. Master Yoda and Anakin turned to him, there features stoic.

"Obi-Wan!"

"Masters," Obi-Wan stressed the titles, smiling. "Mistress Tachi and I are on our way to Korriban. We believe Sly Moore is in hiding there."

Anakin's head bowed. Yoda's face didn't change. "Home of the Dark Side Korriban is."

"Siri thinks Sly Moore hopes of absorbing power from those buried there, Master. She has seen it."

_Know it, I do_, Yoda thought. "Hard to find, it will be."

"We have estimated the coordinates, Master. I am sending them now."

The readers in the Council chairs flashed the report.

"This time we'll have them engraved into the archives," Anakin muttered.

"We will let you know once we have Sly and are on our way back to Galactic City."

Obi-Wan hesitated. "Master Yoda, there is another matter I would like to discuss with you once we return home."

Anakin glanced at Yoda, but Yoda was silent. They were more than aware of what Obi-Wan wanted to tell him.

"Of that we will speak once complete your mission is."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan bowed.

"May the Force be with you _and_ Siri, Obi-Wan," Anakin said hoarsely.

"And with you, Anakin. I'll see you soon."

†

The hologram faded out, and Yoda turned to a brooding Anakin. His tone was gentle and patient when he spoke.

"Remain here we must if honor all they fight for we do."

"Master, this fight was lost the moment we sent them looking for Ameeda and Moore," Anakin declared. "Sending them into possible execution may not be the will of the Force."

Yoda contemplated that. "Change their destiny you wish to do. Make their choices for them."

"I am close to both of them, Master. Our attachment to each other, as a Jedi unit and as friends, may guard them against their destruction. Their loss needn't be surrendered as a given."

"Too sensitive you are to their plight," Yoda warned.

Then with sincere personal sympathy for Anakin, he uttered, "Not ready am I to see you go against the Dark Side of the Force. Abandoned you to your demons once before I did, help you I did not."

Touched, Anakin kneeled before him. "That's not true. You wanted to believe I would make the right decision, and I did. You want the same for Obi-Wan. Nothing has been your fault, Master. The only thing we know for certain to be written in the stars for them is the devotion they each have to the Force and each other. The decisions will be theirs. I merely want to offer support. It is my belief that whatever the outcome, my presence would be advantageous."

"To your wife, how to explain, hmm?"

"She will understand. It's almost over, Master. We have to try to help them."

"Prepared you must be to face the consequences of interfering, Anakin."

He nodded. "I know, and I am."

"Then go you shall. Require accompaniment you will."

"It may be better if I go alone, Mas…"

"Go with you _I_ will."

Anakin bowed, pleased. "Yes, Master."

†

Just looking at the arid, rocky, desert terrain made Obi-Wan parched.

The bastion of the Dark Side was less than inviting. He could feel it before they had penetrated the stratosphere. He half-expected to hear the groaning strain of misery from the resident dead Sith. The exaggerated heat made Tatooine's climate seem like the ice world of Hoth. He wondered how someone like Sly Moore thought she could stay here. The suns were blazing on the surface of the sand and canyons, it's rays bright.

"Do you see any cave-like formations on your side?" Siri asked him. "Sly would have had to make shelter in something away from the light, but somewhere…"

"She could also hide her transport," he finished.

He felt unambiguous malice pulling at him. It was a Sith-rich environment, he knew, but there was something else out there…Whatever catastrophe possibly awaited them, it would not be from Sly personally. There was something else…_stars_! This awful place was hindering his ability to intuit. It would be difficult to sense Sly's location. The search would require their complete attention.

Siri pointed out the viewfinder to a small prairie space alongside a rise.

"There. That'll do."

"We'll have to land a bit away from her. If she is alerted to our presence, she'll flee and we'll have to start this all over again."

She landed the ship competently on the opposite side of a wide hill. He could clearly see the etchings on the rock wall marking the graves of Sith Lords lost over a millennia.

Obi-Wan shuddered and sipped from his canteen.

"Wonderful. We're here. Now what?"

Siri disengaged the ignition plate and placed it in the small pouch on her belt. "No need to let her take our ship, eh?"

"Your cunning humbles me."

They got up and walked out of the cockpit to the exit door.

Siri looked into his eyes.

_This is it_, she thought, memorizing his features. He stared at her with a passion that nearly overwhelmed her. Once they stepped off the ship, their manner would be all-business, and they would part to look for Sly Moore.

She would never see him again in this life.

She had believed she would lament this moment. She had expected to feel her soul already start to leave her. Strangely there wasn't the sadness she'd anticipated just last night. She felt the Force whispering something to her, but she couldn't make it out. She accepted this to be their farewell.

Siri would wait for him. She would not begrudge him a long healthy life. They would meet again when they had both transformed into the Force. Then their lives _together_ would truly begin, and this time without the tug of wasted regrets.

Obi-Wan thought he knew what she was thinking. He touched her cheek, lovingly cradling it in his palm.

"When we return to Coruscant, you and I will have a very long talk."

She pressed his hand closer and nodded wordlessly.

"You take this side of the hill; I'll take the other. You stay closer to the ship. All right?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Call out if you need me."

"I will."

He did something he'd never done before a mission and kissed her. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you."

She moved to open the door, but he stopped her.

"Wait. There's something I'm supposed to give you."

She watched him disappear into the sleeping chamber. She could hear the open and close of something. He walked back out, his eyes alight.

She smiled at him curiously.

He pulled a lightsaber out of his robe and presented it to her with exaggerated flourish.

She looked down at the slender gold-rimmed hilt with stunned recognition.

It was _her_ lightsaber. The weapon she had built as a padawan learner and later relinquished to the Jedi Council.

She held it in her hand, admiring the fit and relishing the weight of it.

She switched on the matrix and the golden blade illuminated the tiny space where they stood.

By the stars, she had missed her weapon!

She switched it off. "I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

His smile for her was knowing. "I love you, too, but that is not from me."

"No?"

"No."

The door slid open and they blinked against the sun.

"Master Yoda sends his regards."


	19. Surprise Me

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Nineteen- Surprise Me

Anakin could not dally. He would stay in the apartment long enough to leave Threepio instruction, give Typho the coordinates to Korriban, and assure himself that Padmé was in capable hands. With the baby due at any time, he hoped his son executed more patience than he had ever been capable and wait to make his entrance into the world only after his father returned to Coruscant.

Padmé would understand why he was going. The fervor of her speech to him this morning was heartening. He wished he knew how to abate any worry she may have, but there was some consolation in having made what he now knew to be the right decision. He would not be gone long.

He jumped out of his speeder and nearly ran into Typho on the veranda.

"Pardon me, Captain," he said apologetically.

Typho smiled and held out his hand, palm up, to him.

"The disk for your itinerary, Anakin."

Padmé came out from around the corner, expressionless. Anakin looked from his wife to her guard.

"Give him the coordinates, Anakin."

Stupefied, Anakin pulled the disk out of the interior of his robe and passed it to Typho.

"Thank you." Typho left them alone.

Out of breath from his hurry, Anakin stared at her.

She rubbed her stomach, absently. "Go get our friends, Ani."

They grinned, he with relief and she with confidence.

"I _love_ you," he told her with gratitude.

Her chin raised a notch, more than a little smug. "I know."

†

"A small shipped has breached the atmosphere, my master."

Slender, bony fingers tapped the improvised electronic console.

"Yessss." The reply was raspy and deceptively weak. "Our prize has found us at long last."

Sly Moore grinned. "We shall finally have all we have planned."

"It was an advantage giving the trusting lackwit more credit than she deserves. It bought us more time. We will succeed where Dooku and Sidious failed. I have the power now. _I_ will own the Empire."

"You shall rule the galaxy," Sly agreed, handing her mentor a weapon. "And I shall be at your side, preserving it for history."

Her master adjusted the hood of the cloak.

"Stay here and ready the ship," she was instructed.

Feral black eyes stared at her. "There will be no one to stop us now. We will return to Coruscant with the head of their beloved, insipid Jedi filth. Soon the Order will be crushed, and their every relic follower hunted and obliterated to their sanctimonious toes."

The hooded figure stretched its back from habit of easing remembered pain.

"And we shall start with Skywalker," the loathsome creature vowed, the pronunciation of the name drawled long and filled with contempt.

"Feel us she may," Sly crooned. "But Tachi will never know what hit her."

"She is Sidious' obsession. He was a bigger fool than I thought." The master stepped confidently over to a passage way into the mountain. "She's a worthless but necessary instrument in my plans. I have higher aspirations."

Sly Moore frowned. "But I thought you wanted an apprentice."

"I shall have my apprentice." The Sith said cryptically, walking into the corridor and leaving Sly to her books.

†

_It's a blasted furnace out here_, Obi-Wan thought, following the narrow, craggy path up the steep hill. He entertained a notion he would find Sly shriveled in a corner somewhere, wretched with radiation burn and dehydration, whimpering for help.

It would certainly make her apprehension simpler.

It was an unkind picture, but then he cast a wary glance at the grove of jagged rocks below him.

_Better to think of that than thinking there is nothing but mere meters separating you from safety and plummeting to a most ignoble end at the bottom of this hill._

He could hear what Anakin would say were he in this position.

_This is where the fun begins…_

The reckless and naïve declaration of youth was such a statement. Anakin would think this exciting.

All he could think now was that he was getting far too old for this activity.

Obi-Wan gripped the rock wall to stabilize his footing. The ledge was holding firm, but the path was getting thinner.

_Focus on what you are doing, Kenobi. _

His fingers latched on to a protruding bit of stone that upon closer inspection appeared to be…a foot. He looked up at the perfect replica in granite of a fallen Sith.

_Darth Lord Plagueis the Wise_, he read.

He scooted along the ledge, courtesy of the Sith Lord's appendage, and continued.

Darth Plagueis the _Deceased_.

He bore no ill will for the occupants of this range. They were long gone, Sidious eliminated. There was no one left to carry on in their less-than-stellar tradition. Their burial in this place of hollow omnipotence had not given them means to escape the shackles of their present imprisonment and return to ravage the land and all who could inhabit it. Their placement here only served to educate those who would fall victim to their own misplaced ideals and marked self-indulgences.

There would be no glory for them. The proof of that was the mountainside itself. The shrine welcomed no one. The planet could not provide much for sustenance. It's climate was too harsh and infertile. It's land too unforgiving.

The loathing the Dark Side had for life was the only physical example of greatness to be found here. _That_ it existed in abundance, but it was pathetic and unworthy of his thoughts.

It was pity the Jedi Master felt.

Obi-Wan pondered what he knew of the Dark Side of the Force. It was more now than the teachings of childhood at Temple. He had witnessed it and had been cut by it in his experiences with Maul and Dooku. He had seen first-hand how greed and fear had seduced what had been marvelous talent and an exceptional mind. He knew how jealousy and fury could give someone with a tremendously tender and generous heart a false sense of entitlement.

He thought again of his former padawan.

Anakin had almost given in to that vengeful pride. Almost. The fact that he not only destroyed the well from which his hatred poured but had turned his nose up at it, gave Obi-Wan another surge of appreciation for the glorious things that made life worth living.

It would be forever curious to him how anyone could believe there was more to be had in the waste of fury, that there would be any thing truly to gain more than, clearly, untimely demise. Who could adhere to a superficial strength that was inevitably postured by innate weakness?

He stopped when he heard something in the distance.

He centered himself, closing his eyes. The benevolent side of the Force was weak. He would have to rely on his natural sense of hearing.

Something clanked and echoed from very nearby.

Obi-Wan pressed his back to the rock wall and listened. Hearing the sound again, he made his steps side-by-side until his hand beside him felt an entry.

A cave. The entrance was a long and tight passageway. He could make out the cast of artificial light inside and the shadow of movement. His eyes narrowed to adjust to the darkness, his gaze keen on the interior as he stepped lightly through the corridor.

_Just once more_, Sly thought, activating the circular palm matrix.

It was magnificent in its splendor. The ultimate weapon. Sly watched the dotted, holographic orb revolve and rotate in rapture. It was Darth Sidious' master stroke, and it would be available to her even if he was no longer. Her new employer—her new _master_—would see to its construction.

The dream of a galactic empire would be very real, very soon. Her master would tie up the loose end that was Siri Tachi and punish the Jedi. No longer would the stunted, self-righteous frauds exist to frustrate and hinder the destiny of so many others. There would be a new regime, a better one. The galaxy would find peace.

By the unlimited coercion of power. She had no doubt the _Death Star_ would be very effective in insuring that all would behave with a profusion of modest cooperation.

Sly gasped aloud as she felt the hot sting on her wrist. The image of the _Death Star_ disappeared as the matrix was knocked out of her hand.

Obi-Wan caught the sailing device with his palm and grinned at the startled look on Sly Moore's ghostly face.

He looked positively cheerful. "Hello there!"

†

Siri watched her old acquaintance and new foe remove the cloak.

It was past time to finish this. She had waited in this hideous grove of slime and salt since she left the ship. She didn't need the Force to tell her why she waited or where on this _dirt pile_ to do so. Her opponent had thought to arrive first, skulking about the bilge water oasis, and catching her off guard.

And they say the Jedi are arrogant.

"Surprise," she called softly.

Her lost associate's back straightened, but she did not turn.

"I underestimated your knowledge of me." Her voice was tight but not angry. "I thought to surprise _you_."

"Your predictability is commonplace," Siri said. "Deep flaw of the Sith."

"Your conceit is misplaced, _Jee-di_."

Their gazes measured the other, assessing the figure of battle.

"Why do you continually pronounce it that way?" Siri asked serenely. "'Jee-di'…did you split your stubborn head when Anakin bested you off that cliff? Give you a speech impediment? Say it with me now."

Siri spoke the word with an exaggerated use of phonics. "Jedi."

"Couldn't the Force tell you to sneak attack?" That said with a sarcastic sneer. "I should have followed my original plan of ambush."

"You couldn't sneak up on the dusty corpses of that hill," Siri jibed.

She watched the red blade of the lightsaber pulse to life, and ignited her own.

"I have foreseen this moment, Tachi. Your soul is mine."

Siri's expression was placid, but her tongue was sharp.

"You want me, Asajj?" she asked, raising her saber arm to guard- position.

Her eyes were clear and her stance sure as Siri dared, "Come and claim me."


	20. Trick

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty- Trick

Anakin checked all the gauges and read the energy meter.

"We should have plenty of power to get to Korriban and back to Galactic City."

"Checked the hyperdrive, have you?"

"R2 made the necessary modifications," Anakin answered. "Strap yourself in, Master. I'm firing the engines."

Yoda tightened the belts as much as he could in the large navigation seat. "Ready I am."

"Hold on."

Anakin pulled the ship out into the mid-day traffic, weaving expertly through the congested mass and into free space.

The ship vibrated as they moved into the upper atmosphere and rocked as they shot out into the stars.

"Getting to Korriban may be a tad tricky, Master," Anakin told him.

"Use the Force, we will. Along with Master Kenobi's coordinates."

Anakin would not think of Obi-Wan just now. He would concentrate on getting them to Korriban first.

"We'll get there, Master."

"Be mindful, we must," Yoda said quietly, gravely.

He looked at the lively glow of Coruscant's four moons, his lips pursed, his expression weary.

"The battle for the light, begun it has."

†

Sly Moore backed up against the console.

Mistress Ventress had not warned her of Kenobi's presence. The General held her treasure in his hand, taunting her by playfully throwing it up in the air, catching it and repeating. It was out of her reach. She knew she did not have the skill to take it from him. She watched him with wide-eyes.

Obi-Wan placed the gadget in the pouch within his tunic.

"You pick the oddest places for holiday, Sly," Kenobi told her. "But you do have the most interesting toys."

He plucked the wrist binders from his belt. His tone betrayed no hint of glory as he said, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Sly Moore."

"I have done nothing wrong." She stood straight, unwilling to show the wretched Jedi any more fear. "What is your charge?"

"Oh, the charge isn't mine, Sly," he answered, stepping closer. "The Republic charges you with treason and crimes against life-forces."

Sly's gaze darted around the room for any means of escape. It was a futile exercise since she did not believe she could get past Kenobi, and she would not leave without those plans. She would have to outthink him.

If she could just keep him here until her master returned…

"You would do yourself a great service by coming along peacefully, Sly," Kenobi said quietly. "You cannot run."

"I don't need to run," she spat at him. "I only need what is mine."

Kenobi sighed and moved to place the binders on her. She jumped back out of his reach.

"Why do you seek to prolong the inevitable?"

Sly sneered at him. "The forfeit of my freedom is not something I will readily give you, Kenobi."

He waved his hands about for emphasis. "What other option do you believe you have? Your fantasy is over, Sly. I have the plans. _I have caught you. _You can't pretend that I haven't. What do you possibly hope to gain in resisting?"

She did not flinch against his stare.

She had surmised enough of Kenobi to realize that he was not a mental weakling. He did not have secret affairs she could exploit as Palpatine had in Skywalker. His reputation for honor and dedication to the Jedi was without reproach.

This ridiculous sheep of that decrepit flock of holier-than-thou wizards was their one of their most celebrated.

How could her master not have felt his self-righteous presence? Sly could not fight a Jedi! How could Ventress ever expect to impose her will on the galaxy if she hadn't the aptitude for detecting her enemies? This was precisely the kind of thing Sidious had detested about Dooku's apprentice. It was exactly why Ventress had been spurned by the Sith.

Sly thought back to many things she had learned under Palpatine's reluctant guidance. She knew that Palpatine was aware of her shadowy presence, but he did not censor himself. He trusted no one, but she did have a purpose. She would exist to serve his vanity. She would be used as another means to keep his enemies in line—a tool to disclose all that could happen to those who would betray him. She would write his history, preserve his legacy for generations of Sith to come. There would be no way to dispute the facts if she was there to witness them and record them.

So what did she know of Kenobi?

She let her brain work, sifting through selective shards of memory.

The policy of the Sith was stringent and implacable. There would be two--Master and Apprentice. No more, no less.

Tyrannus, commonly known as Count Dooku, had wanted to claim Kenobi as his apprentice. This, of course, was while Palpatine's true identity as the Dark Lord was still being concealed. It was to Tyrannus' thinking that Kenobi would be more useful. Perhaps it was that foolish musing that had persuaded Sidious' goading Skywalker to kill the arrogant aristocrat.

There was no way Sidious would have condoned such a move of changing Sith numbers. There would be but one master and that would be him. Tyrannus thinking he could outwit his master had been a grave mistake, as much as thinking that Sidious' obsession with Skywalker would lead to anything other than his own murder.

_"Fostering your delusions of an alliance with Master Kenobi is useless, Count Dooku," Palpatine once said to the Fallen Jedi. "He is too old, and their colorless bedtime tales too ingrained in his psyche."_

_"There is a chance with him, my master," Dooku said, his tone—as ever—the flat inflection of boredom, but there was something about his expression that was disturbing. It was as if he knew a grand secret. "He was the padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn. My apprentice was his Master. I sense his restlessness..." _

Tyrannus had found embittered Jedi Asajj Ventress at the right time. He had used her aggression to turn her and train her as had hoped to train Kenobi. But to him she was a miserable substitute for the young man he considered practically a grandson.

_"...How could you allow Obi-Wan to escape, Asajj?"_

_"…I…"_

_"…You are foolish and weak, Ventress. Tell me. How do you think I should punish you?"_

_"He thought to save me, Master Dooku..."_

_"When will you learn? The Jedi's compassion is their greatest flaw…_Us it_…"_

Tyrannus had never ceased comparing Ventress to Kenobi and always found her lacking. Then to his utter revulsion, she had been defeated and embarrassed by Kenobi not once, not twice, but _three times_, and it was all he could stomach. She had just given him more reason to believe he was right to want Kenobi at his side.

So Tyrannus had left her to fend for herself against the Chosen One.

Sly was piecing it together. There was a thread to let her know how she could retrieve the plans from her captor. She had to find it.

Quickly.

She could decipher something in the betrayals of Dooku and Palpatine by the last of their ordained protégés. Skywalker had severed Sidious in half because Sidious had failed to give him the proper motivation to turn. At least, according to Mistress Ventress. He should have used the Chosen One's consideration for those he cherished against him.

But Mistress Ventress knew much more about that than Tyrannus and Sidious could have dreamed. It was the weapon Siri Tachi had tried wielding to return her to the light. She had spoken of the serenity that generosity and humility brought. She had used Kenobi's repeated attempts to save Ventress as examples.

The true reason Tachi had left the Order had not been a mystery to Dooku. Sly's mistress had explained some of that to her. Dooku's interest in Tachi was entirely separate from the Chancellor's. She was his way to getting Kenobi. It had roused Asajj's ire limitlessly thinking that there was yet someone else with greater esteem in his eyes than she.

_Obi-Wan's compassion is his weakness…He is a Jedi allegiant to the Order…Kenobi thinks with a clear head unlike his ill-tempered apprentice…Were he to turn, a striking blow to the Jedi would be… Give the Jedi their glorified stupidity of a Chosen One…Siri Tachi is only partially significant…I heard she _cares_ for Obi-Wan Kenobi…There was an unsanctioned affair between them…His compassion is his weakness… _Use it_. The trick is Kenobi…He thought to save me…_

_I have higher aspirations._

Obi-Wan did not know why Sly stood there staring into space, but it made him uncomfortable. He could not read her thoughts. He had known her capture would be without physical conflict, but this was entirely too easy. He had waited for several moments now wondering what her devious brain thought to hatch.

Shaking his head, he clasped the binders around her wrists. He wasn't taken aback when she looked at him.

It was once she started cackling with laughter that piqued his interest.

"It is _you_!" she cried, her body racked with mirth. "It is you!"

_Oh dear_, Obi-Wan thought. Perhaps her days of isolation had given her a bit more than her usual mania.

"Yes, Sly," he replied, walking her toward the corridor. "It is me arresting you, and it is me taking you back to Galactic City."

_This was brilliant! _

Sly's obscene howls echoed in the cavernous den. Her mistress had implemented a plan to achieve everything those who had betrayed her had never managed to accomplish. Ventress would have her revenge in one fall swoop. Tachi's execution, Kenobi's descent to The Dark Side as a result of that, and cutting chinks into the Chosen One's armor with the devastation of his greatest allies. Their plans for the _Death Star_ were safe. Its construction would be overseen by the man who now held them!

Ventress would have Kenobi, the reputed definitive Jedi, and use him as Sidious had once thought to use the Jedi of 'questionable ethics', Skywalker.

"This is just…all so…" She continued to cry with humor. "Impeccably ironic."

"You will have plenty of time to contemplate it while awaiting your sentence."

Sly stopped, staring at him with incredulity. "Do you not know this was a trap?"

"Yes, Sly. Your absconding with evidence to an ill-charted planet was an intelligent plot for your own capture. Cheers to your trap."

She jerked out of his grasp, gaping at him. "She knew you were coming, but you couldn't…You blighted fool! She has you right where she wants you!"

Obi-Wan looked at her with narrowed eyes. "_Who_? Who has me right where she wants me?"

"My mistress!" Sly chortled. "You _fell_ for it! _Both_ of you."

Dumbfounded, Obi-Wan frowned at her.

Suddenly the air was sucked out of him.

He could hear the hum and fizzle of dueling lightsabers.

He shut his eyes, catching himself from falling down by placing an unsteady hand on the wall.

_Siri parried the vicious lunges, but the violence of the rapid onslaught was already forcing her back…further…too close to the edge. The fist to her jaw snapped her head to the side, and blood sprayed from her mouth. Her green eyes lit with a predatory gleam as she sprang to her feet._

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open.

He had seen the enemy.

His lips moved, and he soundly mouthed, "Ventress."

He gripped Sly's arms brutally. "What have you done?

"I have done nothing, Kenobi," Sly answered, "Just as you."

She mocked him with a look of elfin censure. "Aren't you going to save your lover?"

He roughly shook her. "Where are they?"

She laughed again, and he found the back of his hand striking her across the face.

"Where are they!"

The slap had startled her to sobriety. Necessary as it was for the following course of events to affix his turn, it was unexpected.

It also hurt.

"I…"

He shouted so close to her face she felt his spittle. "Tell me!"

She shook her head, her fear returning. His face was red with fury. "I…I don't know."

He shoved her so hard her head hit a jagged part of the wall. Sly slithered unconscious to the ground.

†

"Master Yoda, take the controls!" Anakin exclaimed, gasping for air.

"Sense it too, I do."

As focused as he was on flying the ship, Anakin could not prevent the vision that had come to him.

He had seen his beloved master strike the bound and defenseless prisoner. Worse than the total incongruence of Obi-Wan doing such a thing was knowing how he felt when he did it. The fear was quick and instantly consuming.

_Sly Moore fell to the ground, a gaping wound to the back of her head. _

_Obi-Wan paid her no heed and raced into the danger outside. He had no idea of their direction. He had to stop and try to feel something of Siri. He looked blindly beyond the treacherous trail down the hill of rock and past the valley below. _

_He could only wait._

Anakin closed his eyes and made his breath measured.

Obi-Wan. Be at peace. Focus.

_Obi-Wan scanned the horizon. He could not see her. He could not sense her again. His frustration fueled his panic so much he couldn't think. He couldn't make himself move from the spot where he stood. He grit his teeth and tried to relax. He would not see her if he let the terror dull him._

Anakin nodded. He tried using his will to connect with his friend.

That's right. That's right, Master. Wait. Relax. _Think_.

Trust her, Obi-Wan. Trust her to use the Force.

_Growling his distress, Obi-Wan started hurriedly down the hazardous path of the hill._

Anakin groaned and clenched his fists at his side. He would have to try something else.

_Hold on, Siri_, he silently pleaded. _Stay_. _You must not give up._

He could feel both the tense pull of fear and exhaustion at once.

_Fight_!

I'm on my way…


	21. No Fate

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-One- No Fate

_"You disrespectful whelp!"_

_Anakin disguised his laughter with a cough and bowed. "Sorry, Master. I got ahead of myself."_

_Siri rolled her eyes and turned off the lightsaber. "Oh…shut up."_

_He held out his hand to assist her in rising from the ground. "That last flip was a beauty, Siri. But you should remember not to let the slurs of your opponent goad you to a mistake."_

_She eyed him, critically, while rubbing her aching backside. His last attack had been a doozy._

_"_Dooku," _she meaningfully hissed_.

_Anakin reluctantly nodded. "Point taken."_

_She walked with him into the still-smoking-from-skirmish garden, and they drank from the fountain together. _

_She watched him wipe the sweat from his brow and marveled at the knowledge she'd actually made him work to knock her down. The young man had tremendous talent. Perhaps that was an understatement. Her friend was rich with the Light Side of the Force, but she also knew of his flaws. When others worried about such traits, she saw them for what they were—something he could overcome with age and experience. He was not unlike herself. _

_Anakin had courage he hadn't even tapped into yet. She would not rush the eventual realization for him. He would find it himself, and he would apply it when necessary. _

_For now, it was telling that he would take time to visit with her at all. Well…it wasn't just for her. They had one day before they would return to battle. Since he could not venture to Coruscant in such a short time, he needed to have something to pass the time._

_And keep his mind off Padmé. _

_Sparring with a friend would give his body exercise and bring him a small measure of respite from personal troubles. _

_The afternoon had provided mutual distraction for the two misfits of the Jedi. It kept Anakin from wallowing in longing for his wife, and it had kept her from seeking out Obi-Wan. She had not spoken to him. They had spotted each other from across the battleground first; but once it ended with victory declared for the Republic, they remained on opposite sides of the encampment. _

_It had become more and more difficult to keep a distance. Obi-Wan was so much more successful than she in hiding feelings, but she could not ignore his magnetism. He had been happy to see her. She felt it, and the pull was strong. She'd felt the spark of pleasure in him though he turned away almost immediately after their eyes met. He had not come to her, but she knew he wanted to. Yet, he stayed where he was. _

_It was Anakin, restless, that had come to see her. _

_She cleared her throat. "Will Kenobi be looking for you?"_

_Anakin shook his head. "I told him where I was going. If I'm needed, he'll use the COMM link."_

_She looked away. "You were great out there this morning, Ani."_

_He shrugged noncommittally. "Self-preservation is a great motivator."_

_She grinned. "Is that what it was?"_

_He rocked back on his heels and smiled. "Absolutely. Can't come home with any more scars." _

_He winked with vanity he feigned. "I'm the poster boy for the Republic, you know. I gotta keep the looks."_

_"Oh for stars' sake…" Siri breathed with good humor. "I believe it is more of 'Padmé will bolt me to the floor of the apartment to keep me from going on another fool's errand if I get hurt one more time'."_

_His smile dimmed a little, and she told him, "I'm sorry, Anakin."_

_"Don't be silly," he said and tapped her nose. "You're right."_

_She traced the thin, red line that started above the natural arch of his eyebrow and down to the crest of his cheekbone. "How did you get this one?"_

_His jaw tensed and his eyes flared. "Ventress."_

_Siri sighed. "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_"No," he tersely replied. He shook his head and tried to smile for her again. "Just that 'fool's errand' you mentioned. Master Obi-Wan has already chastised me for it, so you are spared the duty."_

_She shuddered. "As if I had the right, eh? I imagine your ears rang after that particular sermon of his."_

_"Well, I deserved it this time," he told her. "You shouldn't worry, you know. He's…the same as always."_

_He looked at her as if to measure something. She knew what he was seeking, and she certainly was not going to give him fodder to chew. _

_A woman was entitled to her mysteries. _

_"I appreciate the exercise, Ani." She gripped the lightsaber. "And letting me use this."_

_"My pleasure. It's Master's."_

_She knew that. "So he knows what we're doing?"_

_"Sure. He doesn't mind…so long as we don't lose it."_

_"This weapon is your life," she said sternly, imitating Obi-Wan's crisp and elegant Coruscanti accent. _

_Anakin chuckled lightly. "Yep."_

_She mimicked maneuvering drills and whispered, "I miss it."_

_"I know. I would, too." Anakin watched her and asked, "Siri, do you ever wonder what it would have been like if you had remained with the Order?"_

_"No." She faced him. "No, Anakin. It is not my destiny, sweetheart. I know that. To remain would have been…pointless."_

_"I don't think the Council agrees with that assessment." He grunted. "I very well know that Master Obi-Wan doesn't."_

_Her head snapped up. "Has he discussed it with you?"_

_"Well…no, but I can sense it in him. He…misses you, Master."_

_"You are projecting, Anakin," she sighed. _

_"This thing with destiny and fate," he began slowly. "With all the talk that I am the Chosen One, that it is my fate to bring balance to the Force…I am expected to act in a certain way for it, but I am not trusted with the opportunity to meet it. How am I supposed to believe in it myself? Have you ever thought that fate is only what we make of it?"_

_Siri considered that for a moment. "I believe that there is free will. I believe that the Force has a map prepared for you to follow, but that It also provides you with the capability to diverge from it. I suppose you could say that, yes, your future is what you make of it and not predestined. There are choices you could make that may alter the map, but your end destination would remain the same, I think. You would just have unnecessary details to cloud your judgment once you arrive._

_It would then be a question of how much faith you have. You could trust the Force to guide you appropriately, or you can eschew that assistance and have nothing to catch your fall. I left the Order because the Force called me to something else. It is not a poor reflection on the Council or the Jedi." _

_"So you recommend patience."_

_"I recommend patience. There are no whispers of defeat yet, Skywalker."_

_"Be mindful of the here and now."_

_"Naturally."_

_"You're a Jedi to the marrow of your bones, Siri. Without robes and lightsaber, but here you are."_

_She clapped his arm affectionately. "The robes…I do not miss."_

_He followed her back into their impromptu training circle. "Why would you when you work that black leather unisuit like nobody's business?"_

_"Anakin!" she goggled, her cheeks turning red._

_"What?" he chuckled. "It's an observation. Even the clones have an…appreciation, if you will, for your choice of attire."_

_"You're going down for this, Skywalker," she said, igniting Obi-Wan's lightsaber. _

_"Show me what you've got, Master," he replied with a cocky grin. "I'm breathless with anticipation."_

♦

There was something shifting in the Force. It was a greater turbulence than the fight she now engaged. There were whispers she could not understand. The tremors of which were rocking through her, and she focused on maintaining her equilibrium.

Siri sprang to her feet and spat the blood out of her mouth. She controlled her temper, but it was far from effortless. She had anticipated the strike. She couldn't let the sting of it drive her to sloppiness. She parried the wide swing of the red blade expertly, stepping Asajj backward. Her defense became the offense.

She could not think of the Jedi. She could not think of Obi-Wan or Anakin. She thought only of Asajj. They were well-matched in combat. Each woman had been trained in the Jedi arts. Each had suffered in some way at the hands of the Sith, but only one of them had embraced the Dark.

She fended off the hot, aggressive style Ventress used accordingly. Her lessons under a lifetime of instruction were not failing her. Her last assignment had prepared her for this meeting. She had hoped it would not come down to this, that she would succeed in returning Asajj to the Light.

Watching Dooku's apprentice execute a back flip with fluid perfection while swiping at her, Siri realized that the passion of Asajj's hatred and self-loathing could make this a very prolonged fight. Under different circumstances, they could have been a tremendous compliment to each other. They could have stood side-by-side and worked as one to illuminate the darkness. As it was, Siri knew she would have to follow through and eliminate the remaining Sith before further damage to the Republic could begin.

If it was her destiny to transform in to the Force to accomplish it, then she would accept it.

Siri blocked the next punch thrown and responded with a kick to her opponent's open right side.

Ventress flew back with a groan and hit the dirt.

"It didn't have to be this way, Asajj," Siri told her, saber pointed to the ground, waiting. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Die, Tachi!"

Their blades clashed again as Ventress leapt to her feet with a speed that should not have surprised Siri.

_This could get ugly_, Siri thought and grit her teeth against the brute strength of Asajj's assault.

♦

_Chewbacca finished the explanation, and Siri nodded. _

_"You won't need to guide him, Chewbacca. He'll find me," she said. "I appreciate all your help, old friend. Your loyalty will be rewarded."_

_He barked a reply. _

_"Well, you shall have my gratitude just the same. Go back to your family. We won't be here much longer, and I don't want you implicated in anything."_

_The gargantuan wookie lifted her off the ground with his enthusiastic affection then took off into the woods. It wasn't long before she felt the presence of her Master._

_Siri stepped away from the tree and met him. "It was a mistake to rendezvous here, Master. Kashyyk has not been touched by the war. Our presence here could…"_

_"Followed we were not," Yoda said simply. "The wookies prepared they are for any battle. Your cover protected. Safe here, you are. Speak with you, I must."_

_"You mean check on me," she replied bitterly. "I explained to you why our meetings have become infrequent, Master Yoda. You'll have to trust that I know what I am doing."_

_"Trust that the Force is with you, I do. That you use that, I am not certain."_

_"I'm here, aren't I?" She looked away from him. "I haven't been home in months."_

_"This assignment, a burden to you it is."_

_"I am tired, Master!" she exclaimed, her expression weary. "Do you have any idea how hard it has been to put up a pretense of abhorrence for you and the rest of the Order?" _

_Her voice dropped low with fatigue and frustration. "I…I want to go home. I want to stand beside you and my friends for the Republic. Instead, I'm fending off Palpatine's revolting overtures and immersing myself in lessons from Dooku." _

_"Stand beside us you do. Your mission important it is."_

_She shook her head, tears of misery gathering in her eyes. "You don't know what it's like, Yoda. You can't imagine the amount of…I don't know."  
_

_"Sense this conflict within you, they must. Strong you have always been, Siri. Patient you must be if you are to succeed with what we have planned."_

_Her face crumpled and she cried, "You need to know…" She wiped her cheek briskly, but the tears continued to fall. "I actually considered staying away tonight, Master. I almost didn't come. I got into my ship and almost fled. I don't know where I would have gone, but…I did not want to face you."_

_"Yet here you are. You are stronger than you think. The Dark Side cannot claim you. The Force flows through you. Dooku knows it; Palpatine wants it. The decision to give in to your fear, yours it is. Be confident with your humanity, Siri. It serves you as does the Force."_

_"Dooku is very…adamant…in his belief I can be turned, Master. I don't think I have what it takes to fight him, and…Master, I think he knows about Obi-Wan. He hasn't said anything to me, but Asajj…"_

_"Learn to put aside your feelings, Siri. You must learn control. Ventress has something to prove to Dooku, she feels. Alter that, you can. Catch her method of offense, brandish it in your favor. Control her wild temper by exercising your serenity."_

_"You make it sound so easy, Master," she said, shaking her head._

_"Look you not for the easy path. 'Tis the way of the Dark Side. To all that stands for right, the road is never easy."_

_She was quiet for a moment, absorbing his instruction. When she spoke again, her voice was deep with thought. "What is my destiny, Master?"_

_"Your future is not mine to see."_

_"I…I get scared, Master. When I try to see my future, I cannot help but be a little frightened."_

_Yoda sighed. "The future is indeterminate, Siri. Serve you no good purpose fear of it will."_

_"The decisions I make right now shape that future, Master."_

_"Yes. Be mindful you must with the consequences of your actions."_

_"You thought you could return Dooku to the Light. You couldn't. What makes you think I can return Asajj?"_

_"Faith in the Force I have," he answered reverently. "And faith in you. I think not you can make the decision for her. Influence by example you can for her. Misguided, Ventress is. Pain propelling her freefall in the dark."_

_"There was once so much good in her, Master. I can feel it. I don't understand how this happened."_

_"Anger…fear…aggression…twist the mind they do if you let it. It is knowing when to let go that can save you."_

_Siri walked over to retrieve her pack. She pulled out a flimsiplast and handed it to him. "These are my most recent notes."_

_She slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Master, I do not know when I can meet with you again."_

_Yoda nodded. "Meditate on your progress I will."_

_"Thank you." She started to walk away but stopped and turned to him one more time. "Master…How is…Master Kenobi?"_

_He was silent. His expression told her that he did not like the inquiry. She knew why. After all he'd just said to her, he was reluctant to give her the means to increase her worry, and Asajj any more ammunition. _

_She would not relent. "Yoda, just this once. Forgive me my attachment. I just want to know that he is well."_

_Yoda took a deep breath. "Safe, he is."_

_"Good…good. Good bye, Master. May the Force be with you."_

_"Mistress Tachi."_

_"Yes, sir?"_

_"Your fate…written in stone is not…Use the Force. Guide you it will if you but listen."_

_"Yes, Master."_

_"And Siri…With whatever happens, know…Should you fall…Catch you, I will."_

_Siri bowed and boarded her ship._

♦

Ventress had driven Siri back to a welcomed shade beneath the rocky crest. Her swings with her lightsaber were still quick but growing wilder with desperation. She was not thinking of strategy. Her frustration mounted her rage as she was continually unable to penetrate Siri's defense.

Siri knew the power of wrath would overwhelm Asajj's physical exhaustion. It did not matter how often her blows were deflected, or how many times they hit each other, Asajj would not give up. They knew each other's skills far too well. It was obvious victory would not be decided by their skills with their lightsabers.

_This is useless_, Siri pondered. _Try another tactic, Tachi._

_Serenity. Give her serenity._

She gently Force-pushed Asajj back. "Let it go, Asajj. You cannot win."

Ventress brought her long, bony hand up and shoved the air, but Siri halted the flow with her own. The intensity of holding it between them made them both groan with the effort to keep it at bay and remain on their feet.

"You've tried your trite sentiment before, Tachi. You will not humble me with weak Jedi passivity," Asajj warned through clenched teeth.

"You'll gain nothing with hatred, Asajj. You never have. Why can you not see that?"

They dropped their hands and grunted when they flew back in opposite directions. With a war-cry, Ventress charged Siri again.

Siri held herself against the unstoppable arc of Ventress' blade. She felt herself growing agitated with guarding a position. But she was also aware of her lack of true, burning anger such as Asajj's. She would have to wear her down. Make her exhaust her energy. Then—and perhaps only then—could she again try reasoning with her.

"Fight me, blast you!" Ventress seethed, kicking her leg out to catch Siri's knee. "I _will_ have what I want!"

Siri stumbled but did not fall, parrying Ventress' blitz with practiced dexterity. "Your plans for taking over Sidious' position is untenable, Asajj. It will _never_ happen! You don't have to prove anything to him or Dooku. Do you understand? It's over."

"I've only just started!"

She used both hands to swing her lightsaber in a horizontal sweep.

Siri ducked and rolled, leaping to her feet at Ventress' back. Her reflexes had her parrying thrusts that came the instant she was up.

"You have no one but me, Asajj," she said. "The Sith have been vanquished. You cannot possibly think to resurrect them."

"I do not wish to resurrect them, you arrogant twit! I shall build a new Sith Order." She hacked shots at Siri's torso. "With an apprentice at my side."

"You have no one but me. I will not turn!"

"I don't want you, idiot!" Ventress spat with venom.

Siri blocked another swing at her head and stooped to sweep the ground with her leg, making Ventress stumble. Her fist caught the deep groove of her opponent's bent elbow.

Ventress' grip on her lightsaber slackened but did not release the weapon. Siri grabbed hold of the hand that held it as Ventress did hers. They struggled against one another, each attempting to out-force the other by sheer determination of physical strength.

"You have no one but me, Asajj. It's over. You will lose," Siri gritted out.

Ventress chortled without mirth, her face contorting from the effort of keeping Siri pinned. "I have you."

She used the top of her head to butt Siri in the face.

With a yelp of pain, Siri staggered back. Stars swam before her eyes, and she barely got her guard up to sidetrack the swift hammer of Asajj's fist to her ear.

"Yes, I do have you, you pious fool," Ventress choked. She used Siri's momentary disorientation to her full advantage, plowing her foot into her midriff.

Siri landed hard onto her back and coughed.

Ventress brought the hilt of her saber up, blade down. With wide-eyes, Siri brought hers nine-high. She kicked up viciously, nailing Ventress below the waist.

Ventress doubled over gasping, and Siri swung both legs to drag her down to the ground while rising above her.

She pressed her boot into the wrist of Ventress' saber hand.

"Let it go, Asajj," she pleaded. "It's over."

"Never!"

Her nimble fingers twirled the slender hilt to swipe the blade of her saber at Siri's side before she could protect it.

Siri shouted, echoing across the wide prairie, as leather gave way for the tip of the red sword to break the skin beneath her ribs and whip a scalding line down her hip.

Ventress swiped again, but Siri dove off to the side and was missed.

Tachi's breath was ragged from both exertion and her new wound. Blood seeped from between her fingers over the gaping rip in her torso.

Ventress pounced on her with renewed vigor.

"Don't fret, Siri," she scoffed, chopping at Siri's weakened guard. "Soon Kenobi will arrive."

Siri was already losing energy.

_Focus, Siri_, she told herself. _Forget the pain_.

Crush _her_.

Ventress feinted with her saber and slugged the wound she'd made.

Tears came to Siri's eyes and more blood shot out of her mouth, yet she remained on her feet.

Ventress cooed, "I won't kill you until he arrives. The grief will show him for the sentimental fool I've always known him to be, and he will be all mine. I mustn't spoil his surprise."

Siri's gaze narrowed with dark impatience, and Ventress frowned.

With a bellow of rage, Siri adjusted her stance and jabbed her fist straight into Ventress' eye.

It was her turn to attack.

Her movements were undisciplined and yet she managed to maintain the rapid force of her blows to the Sith's bald head. She punched and pummeled every bit of open space on Ventress' person.

Asajj would have no chance of recovering from her surprise. All she could do was try to protect herself against Siri's swift retaliation.

The surge of dark power through Siri was not unrealized. She would use it. She had to.

She would not allow Ventress to provoke Obi-Wan.

The gold blade of her proudest possession snapped and pivoted with extraordinary accuracy as it stole the digits of Ventress' right hand then reversed to sever the radial nerves of her left forearm.

The gnarled fingers still clasped the hilt of her lightsaber as it hit the ground. Ventress fell to her knees, crying out, and trying to clasp her maimed hand to her chest with her numb left. It hung useless at her side.

The expression on Siri's face was lethal as she glared down at her. Her chest heaved, and her injury spewed fresh fluid.

"Do it!" Ventress cried. "Kill me!"

Siri wanted to entertain the notion, but wouldn't. She couldn't. Ventress kneeled in the dust, defenseless and without aid. It would be murder. Her death was unnecessary. It would accomplish nothing but more waste of precious life. She had a reverence for it, especially Ventress'.

It could have just as easily been her were it not for her faith in the Force, the guidance of Master Yoda or her own self-respect. There was nothing Asajj could do now but surrender. She would be taken back to Coruscant to be treated for her injuries and to stand trial, but she would never again have the opportunity or ability to create mischief. The staunch supervision of Jedi Knights would see to that.

And the Light had won. Siri had managed to channel the anger and the pain into the Light Side of the Force. Master Windu would be pleased to know his influence of training had not been ignored.

She kicked Ventress' weapon far off and over the edge of the ridge within feet of them.

Siri coughed, and an agonizing blaze of fire seemed to erupt in her chest. She was starting to see two images of her nemesis. She was getting dizzy.

She shook her head in effort to halt vertigo.

"It didn't have to be this way," Siri wheezed, trying to concentrate.

Her body started to sway, her feet suddenly heavy and difficult to raise.

"You leave me here for _Kenobi_ to _murder_!"

Siri could not stop staggering, the ground beneath her seemingly unsteady.

She tried to wet her suddenly parched lips. "Obi-Wan…Jedi…his life."

Her own voice was drowned out by the roaring in her ears. "Precious…he won't…"

She lurched, her eyes rolling back into her head as she fell over the cliff.


	22. Sympathy for the Devil

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. The words of the first paragraph to this chapter are not mine.

Chapter Twenty-Two- Sympathy for the Devil

_A Jedi's strength flows from the Force, but beware of the Dark Side. Anger, fear, aggression. The Dark of the Force are they. Quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny…No stronger it is…only easier and more seductive…Know, you will, the good side from the bad when you are calm, at peace…Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack…_

♦

Yoda's eyes widened with the vision of Siri Tachi plunging to her instant death.

Anakin's head reared back, the cords of muscle in his neck strained and his foot stomped the floor of the cockpit as he wailed sharply with tormented helplessness. "_No_!"

Yoda reached into the Force with everything he had.

_Catch you, I will. _He focused.

Siri landed softly onto the ground, unconscious with the pulse of her life slipping away.

The ship shook as it entered the atmosphere of Korriban.

"To the east they are."

Anakin's shoulders hunched as he pulled the controls back and to the right.

"You get to Siri," Anakin told Yoda authoritatively. "I'll take Obi-Wan."

"Sense it he does, Anakin. Too late we may be to save Ventress."

"My concern is with Obi-Wan, Master. We cannot fail him."

♦

Obi-Wan grunted, gripping his left side and tripping over his feet. He could see her in his mind. He felt the blade cut ferociously down Siri's body just as she had.

Heartsick, he got to his feet and kept running. Moments later another blow felled him, and he pounded the ground once with dread.

"Siri!" he screamed, his breathing labored as he felt her lungs starved for oxygen.

He took off again. His legs felt heavy from exhaustion, but he couldn't stop. He had to get to her.

He didn't know how long he'd been running or where he was going. It was her essence that spurred him in this direction, and he was losing it. Losing _her_. He could feel her blood flowing profusely from her body and knew a grief unlike anything he'd ever known.

Her name was a roar of anguish from his lips, "_Siri_!"

He ran harder, faster, the Force not providing him assistance. He couldn't harness It. He refused to be paralyzed from the fear and simply concentrated on getting to her.

There was no thought that it was the first time Obi-Wan had actually felt terror. He had known anger and aggression. It was impossible not to with some of things he had seen his lifetime. But this was hopelessly different. This chilled his blood. The agony of her laying somewhere, out there, dying under the blistering sun and atop sharp, stinging rocks would be more than he thought he could bear.

Would he survive it? It would not be the recoverable disaster Qui-Gon and Yoda had warned him of in his youth. It would be the heartbreak of a grown man who had experienced a love greater than his sense of honor and duty to the Jedi Order. It would be a Force-shuddering calamity that would threaten to shatter his existence and turn him into nothing.

Siri could not be taken from him now. They hadn't enough time.

Sweat poured into Obi-Wan's eyes. His lungs felt like fire.

_Please_, he prayed. _Help me find her._

♦

Siri, limp and comatose, reminisced.

_Master Adi Gallia formally bowed to Master Yoda and said, "I take Siri Tachi as my padawan..."_

_…"Siri Tachi, you know Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is Master Jinn's new apprentice."_

_"Hello," the blonde, blue-eyed boy said shyly._

_Siri grabbed his hand firmly with hers, making his eyes grow large with surprise. _

_She grinned. "Congratulations! Looks like we'll still be training together, Obi. Just because you're Master Qui-Gon's protégé now doesn't mean you'll escape sparring with me."_

_"A Jedi knows humility, padawan," Adi replied with patience._

_"I wasn't being arrogant," Siri argued earnestly. "He knows I'm better than him…"_

_…It was cool behind the fountain where the rebellious padawan hid beside her fastidious, rule-book abiding but sympathetic friend._

_"Siri, what are we going to do now? Our masters are going to punish us for certain," Obi-Wan whispered._

_"We shall wait," she told him, peering around the corner for any sign of Adi and Qui-Gon."_

_"We shall wait?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Obi-Wan, must you parrot everything I say? Yes. We shall wait."_

_"For what? Master Qui-Gon is going to kill me."_

_Siri sighed. "Then why rush to meet him, hmm? No, he is not going to kill you.. You're his padawan."_

_"Yes, I am and if I want to stay that way, I'm going to stop letting you get me into these messes!"_

_"Shh!" She placed her fingertips over his lips. "Keep your voice down. It will be fine. Council will be called to order, and they will go inside for assignment."_

_Obi-Wan moved her hand away from his mouth and leaned closer to hiss, "This is the last time I try to help you, Siri. I mean it."_

_She looked into his eyes and smiled, "You will always rush to my defense, old friend. It's what you do…"_

The years had gone by too fast.

She remembered Obi-Wan and the cave where they cared for Taly. She thought of that moment of clarity when she realized she was in love with her best friend. The first touch of Obi-Wan's hand on hers. The taste of his lips on her tongue. She recalled the first time he had told her he loved her, too and the promise there was in his embrace.

How she felt as though her heart had been ripped from her when she left him.

She brought up how happy Anakin was on his wedding day, and the glow of joy mirrored in Padmé. She could still hear the total honesty and certainty inflected in the solemn recitation of their vows. Their union was, to Siri, the absolute reason for life—radiant love and unfailing purpose. It had been sad to think she would not have that for herself.

There was the night a thirteen years-old Corellian boy named Han had thought to rob her of her meager amount of Republic credits and had ended up giving her a brother she had always wanted and an unfaltering champion at her side.

Han. He was a strong and courageous kid. Well…closer to man now. She knew he would be all right. She also knew that he would do what he must to continue along the path she'd helped him map of his life. Without a doubt, he would seek counsel with Obi-Wan and together they would make sense of the Force's reasoning behind this.

She thought of the day she handed her lightsaber to Masters Yoda and Windu, leaving Temple and knowing she would never again call it home. She remembered the look of utter astonishment on Obi-Wan's face when he was told the news.

There were so many lost years where she contented herself with just a glimpse of his face in the distance. That damage had been made up in the span of mere but jubilant hours. She would take comfort in that and hope the experience would sustain him throughout the rest of his life.

They did not have enough time…

♦

The power of his exertion was forgotten when Obi-Wan found Ventress curled in fetal position on the ground beyond the dried-up former salt lake.

Out of breath, he scanned the landscape for any sign of his love.

There was clear evidence of blood on the ground, but no footprints or anything that indicated where Siri could have gone.

Ventress mewled.

He stalked over to her, kneeled and raised her up, pulling her by her arms. She yelped with pain.

"Kenobi," she whispered weakly, her skin burned from overexposure to the sun. Her lips were cracking, and her eyes were glazed over and swelling shut.

"What did you do?" Obi-Wan hissed. "What have you done with Siri, Ventress?

"You were mine, Kenobi…You can't let me die."

There was a thunderous sound in his ears, but he strove for patience. He could not let her die. He had to know what she had done to Siri.

"I will save you," he told her. "But first you have to tell me where she is."

She wouldn't look at him. He let her rest back against his chest. He noticed her left arm was cut, a wide band of drying blood going down its length. The fingers of her right hand had been severed.

"Asajj, you need medical attention. I will take you to Med Center if you tell me. Where is Siri?"

Her cracked lips bled when she smiled. "Gone to the Dark Side."

She chuckled, and Obi-Wan turned her roughly in his arms.

"What are you talking about?"

Her laughter now was wicked. "You still can't feel her, can you? Worthless Jedi…"

"Where is she, Ventress?"

"I told you. She's gone to the Dark Side, Kenobi. Dead…Dead…_Dead_!"

Flashes of her flooded his brain.

Ventress had punched her…kicked her…sliced her midriff…Siri gained the upper hand, then the higher ground, only wounding her enemy and sparing her miserable life. She started weaving, blood loss making it impossible for her to keep her footing. Weak and disoriented, she fell…

His throat choked with sorrow. Denying it, he glanced over to the edge of the cliff, frozen in place.

Growling his rage, Obi-Wan gripped Ventress' shoulders like an iron vise.

"Where is she?" he cried.

"I told you. She's dead."

He shook her. "Liar! Where is she?"

"She's dead, Kenobi!" Ventress said desperately. "You have to save me, Kenobi. You always think to save me…"

He shook her until her teeth rattled. "Where is she?"

"At the bottom of that ridge!"

"No!"

Obi-Wan tossed her onto the ground and slapped her. "Where is she?"

"Help me…"

He heard Siri's laughter in his ears, and tears burned his already scorching eyes. "Where is she!"

"You're a Jedi…" Ventress tried to remind him. "You're supposed to help…"

He punched her useless arm. "Where is she!"

"She's…gone…Kenobi…"

He saw a memory of last night in his head…the expression of wonder and elation on Siri's face when they finally became one, and the pain of it brought his clenched fist down on the mutilated hand of her adversary.

"Where is she!"

Ventress could not answer for he repeated his abuse so she couldn't speak.

_I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi…I love you…_

He broke a sob and pounded on Ventress' defenseless body relentlessly, his fury vitally merciless. "Where is she? Where. Is. _She_!"

♦

_Siri_.

Her mind sought lucidity against hallucination.

_Master?_

_Do not give up. Needs you, Obi-Wan does._

_I'm…so tired, Master…I have to sleep._

_Understand, you do not. Your fate this is not! Used, you were. _

_Yes…destroy the Sith._

_No, Siri. No. _Hear me._ In terrible pain, Master Kenobi is. Leave him now, you cannot._

_Master...I can't wake up. I can't…_

_Kill Asajj he will, Siri. Hear me, do you? Execute her he means. _

_No. _She tried to put adamancy to it. _No. He wouldn't._

She felt Yoda's desperation. With his magnificent power, he showed her what was happening on the plateau above her body.

The shock of it made her gasp, then choke, and her eyes snap open.

Master Yoda leaned over her, relieved, but his face was etched with concern.

He touched her cut brow with a gentleness that belied his tone as he ordered, "On your feet. _Jedi_."

♦

"Obi-Wan."

Anakin stood a few feet away, out of breath. His expression was grim.

"Stay out of this, Anakin," Obi-Wan warned him. "This is between me and Ventress."

Anakin was horrified at the ominous change in his friend. Obi-Wan's blue eyes were as red as a Sith's blade. His cheeks were streaked with tears.

"Master," Anakin began quietly, swallowing. "She is unarmed."

Obi-Wan didn't want to hear it, particularly from Anakin. "_You_ are going to instruct _me_ on how to apprehend a prisoner?"

"You're not trying to apprehend her, Master. You're killing her."

"You can judge me when you assassinated Dooku after relieving his wrists of his hands and taking his lightsaber?"

Anakin turned woeful. "That was not me, and this isn't you, Obi-Wan. It's this _place_. Don't let the dark power of this hellhole cloud your judgment. "

He took a step closer. "Master, listen to me. You are not a murderer. You are a good man, Obi-Wan. Don't do this. Get off her, and let me take her to Coruscant."

Obi-Wan stood, his mind and heart in conflict. Everything he felt was emoting on his face, and Anakin was overcome with empathy.

Obi-Wan's shoulders shook with soundless, tightly-reined misery. His voice was guttural. "You have no idea what she has done."

"I know," Anakin said softly. "I know. But this…this is not what Siri would want. You're better than me, Master. You've always been stronger in the ways that truly count. You can't do this. You'd be treading a path you do not want to follow."

Obi-Wan covered his face with his hands and moaned. "Anakin, you don't know what this is. Get out of here. Go away and let me handle this."

"I can't do that, Obi-Wan."

"She doesn't deserve to live, Anakin!"

"Look at her, Master," he pleaded. "She cannot harm anyone anymore. Her skills and tricks have gone with her mind. She can no longer plague us."

"You are a Jedi, Obi-Wan!" Anakin continued, grave. "You know what your emotions can do. Be mindful of who you are. Killing Ventress will not restore Siri to us. Can you hear me?"

Ventress slowly woke and saw Kenobi standing over her with sullen eyes.

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin. The expression on his face broke Anakin's heart.

"I have loved Siri more than half my life, Anakin," he said. "This cannot be the end of it. You are right. I'm not you, Anakin. I didn't defy the Order to be with the woman I loved. I should have. I should have because this…"

His voice broke. "This cannot be the work of the Force. I cannot have had just one day with her before I lost her again. Permanently, this time. I cannot let that go unpunished."

The non-comforting platitude crossed Anakin's lips before he could stop it. "It is the will of the Force, Master."

"If this is the will of the Force," Obi-Wan began, turning back to Ventress. "Than I am no longer Its servant."

He plucked his lightsaber from his belt.

Anakin leaped forward with panic, his hand outstretched. "Obi-Wan, don't!"

He looked at the man he'd partially raised with regret. "You cannot stop me, Anakin."

Anakin shook his head, sick with another brand of grief. "No, I can't. But if you do this…I can no longer help you, Master."

He swallowed, their stares equally hard and desperate. He ignited his blade and held it over his head.

"I should have done this years ago," he muttered contemptuously.

"Obi-Wan?"

The arc of the lightsaber halted in mid-swing. He froze then swiveled his head to look in the direction of the cliff behind him and to his right.

He gaped at the vision before him with disbelief.

Anakin rushed to Siri's side to help her stand. Yoda lowered his arms. It had taken a modicum of effort to Force-carry his charge up the hill. It had nothing to do with her size but the negative-energy of this awful planet.

Obi-Wan continued to stare at her, and his lips formed her name silently.

"Siri."

He turned off his lightsaber as Anakin helped her hobble over to him.

She was in terrible shape. Her face was pale from loss of blood, despite the pink tint on her cheeks from the sun. There was a small gash over her eye. She held a bacta poultice over the wound on her left side. She was having trouble taking breaths, but…

She was alive.

His fingers shook as he raised them to her split lip.

"I couldn't feel you," he said, apologizing, still dazed. "I couldn't feel you, Siri."

It hurt to smile as much as everything else her battered body had endured, but she did it. "Feel me now."

She collapsed into his arms, and he held her as if his life depended on it. He remembered her injury and backed away some, but she clung to him.

"Get us out of here, Obi-Wan," she whispered in his ear. "I want to go home."

Ventress forgotten, he nodded. "All right."

He carefully lifted her into his arms. He looked at Anakin, slightly confused. "Anakin?"

"Take my speeder to the ship," Anakin told him.

Something in the sky blocked the sunlight and cast a soothing, cool shadow over the group.

Obi-Wan looked up at the star-cruiser. It was landing, and he could see a side-panel opening and Clone Commander Coty waiting to disembark.

Stunned, Obi-Wan gazed again at Anakin. The brothers exchanged a silent apology and an acceptance.

"Anakin…"

Anakin clasped his shoulder. "Don't. We'll take Siri back to the ship and leave the garbage to Coty."

He spared Ventress a piteous glance. "We're going home."


	23. Ratio of Greed:Loss

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Note to Friends: Technical difficulties prevented the upload for this chapter. Sorry. Who knew the story would be this long? (And getting longer…) I haven't forgotten the Skywalkers, everybody. I promise. J.M.A.S. and DoubleP, you rock!

Chapter Twenty-Three- Ratio of Greed:Loss

Obi-Wan tucked the blanket to Siri's chin. All the cords of intravenous fluids attached to her were in check, keeping her well-hydrated. The organ monitor displayed that her heart rate was staying close to normal, and the pump indicated the lung that hadn't collapsed was maintaining her flow of oxygen.

He used bacta to clean the cuts on her face. He had poured the rest of the solution over the gaping wound at her side, wishing he could take the sting of it for her as she wept. He dressed it with the bacta poultice and secured it for their trip back to Coruscant.

He had never seen anyone this abused. She was covered in bruises, her body battered. She was sunburned. Her lip was split at a corner. Both of her eyes were black, one already swelling shut. Her nose didn't appear to be broken, but it had bled out a great deal of evidence to her internal injuries. Her left shoulder was dislocated, and he did think several of her ribs were cracked. Ventress had done a number on her, but to Obi-Wan she had never looked more beautiful.

He took the pins and bands out of her hair and stroked her head.

Siri was alive, and that was all that mattered. He would never forget this day. Not if he lived to be a thousand. He would never forget the gut-wrenching horror. He would never be able to dismiss the sense of terrific mourning and how the wave of fury that had washed over him, and he never wanted the experience again.

He had nearly slain the defenseless in his plight to exorcise his grief. That was no excuse, but he could not think on it now.

He caressed her cheek, pushing the stray tendrils of her hair away.

By the stars, he loved her.

She moaned.

"Shh," he cooed softly. "It's all right. We'll be in Galactic City soon."

He watched her try to raise her good arm to remove her air mask.

He stilled her with his hand. "You need this, Siri. Don't try to talk. Rest. Please."

Her fingers curled gently around his, and the squeeze was feeble. Her good eye looked at him beseechingly.

"Only for a moment," he said, obliging her and removing the mask.

She slowly wet her lips. "You…came for me."

Obi-Wan was not a man known for tears, but today they seemed endless. Profound gratitude filled him.

He teased her. "Yes, I came for you. It's what I do, remember?"

A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan."

He grasped her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "For what? You've done nothing wrong."

"Don't…hate…her, Obi-Wan," she stuttered breathlessly. "Wasteful…"

"Shh…don't worry about it, Siri," he told her. "I don't hate her…I'd much rather think of you."

Her chin bobbed with acceptance. "Anakin…did us proud…"

His head bowed. "Yes. Yes, he did."

"We…we'll never hear the end of it."

A laugh escaped him, and he nodded in agreement. "Well…no, we won't."

She coughed her amusement, and Obi-Wan startled.

"Let me put your mask back on, darling," he told her

With wonder, she whispered, "'Darling'?"

He actually blushed, and Siri wished she was more lucid to appreciate it.

"It's an endearment I heard Padmé once use over a COMM link to Anakin," he said quietly, embarrassed. "I thought it appropriate."

"He _is_ a darling."

"So are you."

"Me?" she wheezed. "I want something different."

He smiled, gleeful with her recovering humor. "Yes? What would you like?

Her eye closed and she was so quiet, Obi-Wan thought she may have passed out.

"Master Jedi Knight," she whispered raggedly, her eye opening.

He kissed her hand and replied, "You'll have it again, Siri."

He leaned closer to her face. "But I may have another title for you."

_You are so beautiful_, she thought. _I love you_ so _much_.

She tried to smile. "'Bane'? 'Wretch'? 'Nuisance'? 'Troublesome-bit-of-baggage'?"

His lips brushed her swollen cheek reverently. "Siri Kenobi, wife of Obi-Wan."

He was not joking. His gaze was intense as he awaited her response.

Siri's damaged lips trembled with joy.

"I lied," she breathed. "_That's_ the title I want."

His eyes teared again as he nodded and said, hoarsely, "Then it shall be yours."

Their lips met tenderly.

In the cockpit and shamelessly using his gifts to eavesdrop, Anakin sighed and closed his eyes in thanks.

He adjusted his COMM gear and pressed the proper buttons on the console.

"Artoo? Artoo, do you copy?"

He heard the whorl, beep of response.

"Patch a message to Temple that we're almost there," he said. "Make certain Bant is waiting."

_Whorl, whorl._

"And, Artoo?" Anakin leveled the control. "Tell Threepio to ask Captain Typho to bring Padmé to Temple."

_Whorl, beep. Beep._

There would be a happy end to this nightmarish day, after all.

"I need my wife."

†

Master Jedi, Yoda, venerated leader on the Council of Jedi Knights and esteemed citizen of the Grand Republic, did not believe in too much caution. He left his knights to their own conveyance and remained with their prisoners aboard the starship _Galactic Fleet One_. He would serve as guard, and observe with own eyes that they would not escape.

Sly Moore lay bound to the sickbed by padded shackles. She muttered and spat intermittently at no one in particular. Her ranting was of the ultimate weapon and an empire that did not exist, and by the grace of the Force, never would. Her once brilliant mind was reduced to nonsensical ramblings.

The Jedi Master glanced over with no feeling whatsoever. He was indifferent. All he recorded in memory was that she was a criminal under his supervision. It would be up to the Senate to decide her fate. That would be enough.

His attention focused on the fallen next to him.

There would be no Sith trance for Asajj Ventress. She would not use her dark power to flee again. She could not trick her way out of punishment this time. Yoda thought of the several occasions Obi-Wan Kenobi had tried to save her life. He thought of his own hand in attempting to return her to the Light and to the Jedi Order and the part he had asked Siri Tachi to play in her salvation.

Asajj would not escape, and she could not be redeemed. She had failed her last chance to help herself. The Force could not reach out to you if you repeatedly scorned It. Forgiveness was unattainable if you refused to accept it. Nothing could defend one against the darkness when they held it willingly with an iron fist.

But there would also be no funeral pyre for her, either.

Yoda had no misconceptions about the events of the day. In his effort to save one, he had nearly lost two more who were dear to him.

It was time he faced his own attachments. Ever a servant to the Force, he had overlooked his own sentiment to those who served it, under his direction, as well.

The beloved Order of Jedi Knights.

_His_ Jedi.

It was he who had taken them from their families, their homes for over eight hundred years. It was by and at his word that they would be raised with care and compassion. It was his responsibility to protect them when the Force was overworked or difficult to feel. It was his privilege to see that each would fulfill their highest potential, and it was with pride he acknowledged that most had done so.

He supposed that was why it had been so hard to accept that there were some who disdained his guidance. It had wounded him. Personally. He had been arrogant. It stabbed the dark side of his pride. He would not dismiss this revelation. Today he had bore witness to the waste laid out by the shadow of his own greed.

He would not give in to recrimination. He had done so only days before and his interference had led to Siri falling off that ridge, and Obi-Wan nearly slaughtering Ventress from the despair of Siri's implicated demise. He had not trusted the Force that had embraced young Skywalker in his most dangerous hour. He had not exercised patience waiting for It to let him know that all would be well, and Its guidance would show him the next step for the Jedi Order.

Yoda had taken it upon himself to expedite matters truly beyond his control and, in the process, hindered more than helped.

He sighed. Kenobi and Tachi would marry and join Skywalker in the creation of a new Order. It was no longer a notion that made him blanch and shudder. He was pleased. He was very pleased. They all held faith. He could not find fault with that. There were trillions of other beings in the galaxy who had found love, found happiness, and had remained true to the Force. He could expect and offer no less for those he infinitely cherished.

Yoda did not know the future. He would be all right with that. The democratic Republic would hopefully stand for another millennia, and his teachings would long outlive him. He would leave that legacy for his brethren with his heart full and rich with compassion.

He felt Asajj wake before he saw it.

"Yoda…" she hissed through parched lips.

He soaked and wrung a cloth. He dabbed it on her mouth.

"Returning to Temple with you, we are."

Her swollen eyes fluttered futilely.

"Ancient simpleton…"

"Live you will," he said, unaffected. "Manipulate me you will not."

"You may take your wretched Temple and…"

"Listen you will to what I have to say," Yoda told her evenly.

"I…don't have to do any such thing. You are not my master."

"Your master, dead he is. Along with all he envisioned. Your loyalty to the Sith, tragically misplaced."

"Yours to the Jedi is what is misplaced, Yoda." She looked on him with venom. "You were going to let Kenobi kill me. Where was your blasted compassion then?"

"Kill you he did not, no matter the desire to."

"Because you resurrected that…"

"Watch your tone with me," he warned her. "Your slander, aid you it will not."

"You're all pathetic, sentimental weaklings. You don't know power."

Yoda bowed his head.

He said, quietly, "I know the power of which you speak, Asajj. Empty power it is."

"It is strength."

"The Force is strength," he corrected her. "Greed is weak and vengeful. What have you for your efforts, hmm?"

She turned her head away.

"Here you lie, your power gone. Stripped from you by the strength of the Force and faith in It."

She would not look at him.

"The Sith are abolished. Their way of life never to be experienced. To prison you'll go. Where the power in that is?"

Yoda saw her jaw clench with fury she could not wield effectively again.

"Never would you listen to instruction. Always with you it was vanity. Your failure not to the Jedi. Your failure not to the Force so much as to you it was," he explained.

"Waste of good senses and true talent you are," he continued. "Object of pity you have become."

Her head turned to him with as much energy as she could muster. "Don't you dare pity me!"

"My feelings are mine and cannot be dictated by you, Asajj," he replied calmly. "The Force flows through me, and let It lead I shall."

She shrank away from his touch on her hand.

"Accept you will responsibility for your actions," he told her. "A hard lesson of greed and loss it is."

He leaned on his gimer stick. "You had the best life had to offer you. Thrown it away, you have. Lost everything you held dear. Never get it back you will. Sidious gone. Dooku gone. All their plans destroyed will be. Their greed their downfall it was.

There is nothing to show of their scheming and murder. The Order of the Sith left only in the hills of Korriban. Nothing there is but meditation on your crimes, destructive and fruitless."

He saw tears on her cheeks.

"You should have let Kenobi kill me."

"Die you may, but by not the hand of a Jedi."

Yoda settled back in his seat.

Commander Coty stepped into the room.

"Master Yoda, we'll be making our descent into Galactic City in a moment."

"Thank you, Coty."

"To Jedi Temple, sir?"

"No," Yoda answered, eyeing Sly Moore. "First to Galactic City jail for Moore, then to Temple with Ventress."

"Yes, sir."

She scoffed. "Still think to turn me, Jedi?"

"No, lost you truly are."

He signaled Coty to shackle her feet and arms.

"Trust you I do not. In keeping of the Jedi you shall be until time of your hearing before Senate."

She felt the binders wrap gently around her swollen limbs.

Incredulous, she muttered, "You think I mean to escape?"

"Know you will not," he told her flatly. "Make certain of it, the Jedi shall."


	24. Taking Care of Their Own

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-Four- Taking Care of Their Own

Padmé watched Jedi converge on the primary landing pad outside of Temple. Masters and their padawan learners waited for the ship to dock. Their expressions were solemn, but their eyes were alert. A small band of them lined up on each side of the loading ramp once it descended. Though it was fairly dark outside, she could easily make out the figure of her husband exiting the vessel first.

Anakin stepped out, a hoverogurney floating in his wake, and Obi-Wan followed it. Padmé couldn't actually see the injured they carried, but she knew it was Siri.

There was a flurry of organized activity when all walked briskly into Temple. Master Secura gave instructions to the apprentices. They nodded consent to whatever she told them and moved back out onto the landing pad. Knights returned to station at all points of entry into the Grand Hall.

She saw Anakin turn to exchange words with Bant, falling behind the Healers directing the gurney toward the turbolift. Obi-Wan flanked them, his expression studious and intent. As they moved closer to where she stood, she could clearly make out Siri's still and unconscious form.

Padmé gasped at the visibly wrecked condition of her friend.

Master Windu came up behind her and placed firm, comforting hands on her shoulders.

"She will be all right, Senator Amidala."

The positive declaration could have been questionable considering it was delivered in the Jedi Master's usual grim monotone. Over the years, Padmé had learned that was simply how he spoke. His kindness had always been overshadowed by the steely disapproval he relentlessly projected and his reputation for the hard line, which she suspected was how he preferred it. That he sought to comfort her now was evidence to his true nature.

"Master Windu, what happened to her?" she asked.

Mace watched Anakin turn away from Bant and walk determinedly toward them.

"We'll find out soon enough," Mace replied.

Anakin eyes lit with warmth as looked on his wife. Mace released her as Anakin pulled her gently and wordlessly into his arms.

He kissed her, and Master Windu politely left them to join Obi-Wan.

He broke the kiss and just held her, smelling her sweet and intoxicating scent.

"Thank you for coming," he whispered against her ear, swaying with her.

Padmé stroked his neck. "Of course."

She kissed him once more. "You're all right?"

He nodded and held her hand. "Not a scratch. What about you? The baby okay?"

"Yes."

She glanced around at all the movement. Then a distinctive hush came over the room. It was as if all had lapsed into vigilant deliberation.

"Are the Jedi concerned about another threat?"

His face softened and he observed the situation for himself. There was pride in his voice. "No. It's just a…mode…we go into when one of us has been..." He mentally searched for a non-aggressive word. "Inconvenienced."

"I've never seen anything like it," she whispered with awe.

They turned to watch the Healers go into the lift with Siri. Bant and Mace were saying something to Obi-Wan that he responded to negatively. The door slid shut only after Obi-Wan boarded with them.

Padmé asked, "What happened, Anakin?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and guided them to a second lift.

"Come," he told her. "We'll go to Obi-Wan's chambers. I'll tell you there."

"Is he hurt?"

"He's fine, angel. He's just worried. I'll tell all about it when we get upstairs."

♥

"We're fortunate that Masters Yoda and Skywalker arrived when they did," Bant told Obi-Wan. "Her internal injuries are severe. Coupled with the blood loss…"

"Bant," Obi-Wan interrupted, trying to keep a cool head. "What will you do for her now?"

"The meditation started before you arrived," she answered. "Once I repair the collapsed lung, wrap the cracked ribs and staunch the bleeding, she will be placed in a bacta tank."

The Jedi's highest-ranked Healer looked at her old friend with sympathy. "There is nothing you could have done any different, Obi-Wan."

She smiled. "Siri has always been stubborn and headstrong. You know that. She will be back to her normal self in no time at all. She'll be vexing you again before you know it."

Obi-Wan stroked his beardless chin out of habit and stepped closer to the window in the observation room of the medical facility. Four Jedi kneeled at different corners of the surgical table, deep in meditation. Two more prepared Siri for the operation.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "She'd better."

Bant hesitated but told him, "She…it will make her very happy to know you stayed. She, undoubtedly…feels you, Obi-Wan."

She didn't know if he was listening to her, so focused he was on their comrade.

"Stop hedging, Bant," he whispered.

He faced her and smiled gently. "You may dispense with discretion. You know very well that is precisely why I'm here with her."

Bant grinned with relief. "We have new realities ahead, Master. It's going to be a very…_interesting_…transition."

"I plan on acclimating quickly," he replied and turned back to the window.

Her lip quirked. "Well, you've always been a little slower than Siri, Obi-Wan. But it is comforting to know you'll try to keep up with her now."

"Go, Bant," he bade her. "You may mock me later if it pleases you."

"Master Windu has gone to relay the message you requested sent."

"Good."

The digital holographic images of Siri's vital statistics displayed in the air above her body. Her heart remained strong.

Bant bowed. "I will tell you of everything going on in there, Obi-Wan. I promise."

Obi-Wan calmed his spirit and stared at Siri.

"Thank you."

♥

Padmé grinned, watching Anakin move about the chambers with a familiarity that had not left him after all his time away from it. He remembered exactly where Obi-Wan kept everything. He put on tea as though it was still habit.

He glanced up from pouring. She was looking at him oddly.

His brow lifted and, puzzled, he asked, "What?"

She folded her hands in her lap, and she replied, "I was just picturing what you were like living here with Obi-Wan. You probably couldn't find dish number one in _our_ kitchen, but here…It's just…sweet."

He shrugged and placed the cups on a simple tray. "Master likes his tea."

He walked around the bar and placed the tray on the table before her.

"It's a tradition," he said. "Sort of."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He sat down across from her at the table. "Obi-Wan used to make Sapir tea for Master Qui-Gon. One in the morning. One in the evening after dinner."

He smiled with memory. "When Obi-Wan brought me here, I began doing the same for him."

Padmé was touched. "You liked taking care of him, didn't you?"

Anakin startled, and remembered his time in this room.

"I never thought of it that way," he whispered, curiously.

He met her gaze dreamily. "It's true. That's what it was. I…wanted to take care of him."

"Like he took care of you."

"Yeah." He slumped back against the chair. "Hmm."

He looked so pleased by the revelation that Padmé offered, "You'll have to tell me about it some time. I'd like to hear your stories."

"Absolutely." He grinned.

His expression changed to one of wonder. "It's still a little strange to know that we have the time to talk about this stuff now. Isn't it? I mean…we have all the time in the world, Padmé. No sneaking out of Temple at nightfall and slinking in before sunrise."

She added, "No intricate network of clandestine communication."

"No more lying," he breathed strongly. "Thank goodness."

"It's wonderful, darling."

"Oh yeah."

The baby shifted lazily within her womb, and she rubbed the spot soothingly.

"You make me very happy, Anakin."

His eyes twinkled. "That's a Jedi mind trick."

"Whatever it is, I like it."

Anakin sipped his tea. "We may have inadvertently started a trend, angel."

"What do you mean?"

"My master and…"

"Siri." Padmé nodded. "She's been in love with him for a very long time, Ani."

He nearly choked on his tea. "You knew?"

Perplexed by his reaction, she answered, "Of course I knew. Didn't you?"

"No! Well, not with any certainty. It was just…those whispers we talked about, remember? Did she tell you?"

"Oh heavens no," she said quickly. "It was just the feelings. We'll chalk it up to one woman in love recognizing it in another."

He sobered. "After today it will be concrete knowledge."

"You truly believe she'll be all right?"

"Yes," he declared evenly. "You saw us all downstairs. We'll guarantee it."

"What happened on Korriban, Anakin?"

His happiness dimmed a little at the memory of what had nearly happened on the cliff.

He settled, took a deep breath and leaned closer.

He told her everything.

♥

Mace watched the tall young man walk through the gates of Temple. Siri's friend looked up the many steep, marble steps leading to the building with trepidation. The boy clearly did not know what to make of the Jedi home, and his steps were slow with a sort of reluctant admiration.

Mace waited until he'd finished the trek. They stood eye-to-eye with one another.

"Han Solo?"

Han gulped. "Yes, sir."

Mace nodded once. "I am Master Mace Windu. If you'll come with me, Master Kenobi is waiting for you."

Han only knew of Mace Windu by reputation on the streets of the Lower Level. This Jedi had a mean streak, he'd heard. He could crush an entire fleet of the Droid Army.

By himself.

With his bare hands.

Mace Windu was a good man to know. The tales contradicted everything Siri had ever affectionately explained of her Master's personality, but if the man's looks were any indication, he would sooner believe the rumors.

Then the Jedi smiled, and it was genuine and classy.

"We don't bite, my young friend," Mace replied. "You are welcome here."

"Er…Thanks."

"Please." Mace waved his arm to indicate the Grand Hall. "Follow me."

Han's first thought upon stepping foot into Jedi Temple was that for what they lacked in personal wealth and fashion, they more than made up for in architecture.

"Wow," he breathed, looking at the high, domed ceiling with intricate molding.

The red carpet beneath his scuffed boots was plush. The walls were marble with etchings of Jedi teachings carved in them. The long walkway to the split spiral staircase was lined with more marble. Statues of the Jedi who had left the Order. The first one he encountered was the one most recently added.

Siri.

He stopped to admire it. He read the granite placard at her feet.

_Siri Tachi_, it read. _Padawan to Adi Gallia. Ordained Knight of the Republic. Master of Forms I, IV, and V Arts. Resigned from the Jedi Order Year One of _The Clone War

Han swallowed. She had left them yet they had chosen to honor her.

He would never understand Jedi reasoning.

"Are you all right, young man?"

He shook his head to clear it and turned back to his host.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Where are we going?"

He walked beside the Jedi to a turbolift.

"I'm taking you to the surgical theatre. Master Kenobi thought you might want to be there with her during the operation."

"Yeah," he replied nervously.

They stepped into the car, and Han said, "She still speaks highly of you, you know. All of you. She's not one of you now, but…"

"She will always be one of us, young one," Mace told him.

Of course he'd say that. Han remembered what Siri was constantly telling him.

_Once a Jedi, always a Jedi._

"She's going to get better, right? I mean…you're going to take care of her?"

"Mistress Tachi has a very unique soul," Mace said. "The Force is very strong with her. Most of her recovery will be supported by that, but…"

"But?"

The door slid open, and Han followed him into the medical quarters.

"But sometimes even a Jedi requires additional… help." Mace opened a door for him and looked him dead in the eye.

"We take care of our own."

Han stepped into the observation room and saw Kenobi watching the proceedings attentively. He looked down at the goings-on beyond the glass and saw Bant working on Siri and four Jedi kneeling on the floor. It all looked so calm and expertly efficient.

"Yeah," he whispered with appreciation. "I guess you do."

Mace called out. "Master Kenobi. Mister Solo has arrived."

Obi-Wan turned. He looked at Han almost apologetically.

"Thank you, Master Windu."

Mace bowed then turned his attention to Siri.

"How is the surgery coming?" he asked.

"Well. They have managed to re-inflate her lung."

Han saw Kenobi's eyes close. There was something new about him that Han could not quite put a finger on.

"Re-inflate her lung?" Han walked over to Kenobi's side, looking down at Siri. "What happened to her?"

"She fought a Sith," Master Windu said quietly.

Appalled, Han stared. "Sith? But I thought Anakin killed the last of the Sith."

Obi-Wan turned to him. "You know Anakin?"

He shrugged. "I was there when he addressed the Senate after he killed Chancellor Palpatine. And…well, everybody knows Commander Skywalker."

Mace sighed, thinking of all the HoloNet coverage. "Indeed."

"Actually, Siri introduced us about a year ago at Dex's Diner," Han explained. "He showed me how to fix the motivator in my ship's hyperdrive once."

Han smiled at the memory. "I would have never pegged him for a Jedi."

A year ago neither had he, Mace thought with remorse.

Obi-Wan frowned. "I wonder why he never mentioned it."

"Probably the same reason Siri never did," Han replied, absently. "She always said you were too busy saving everybody to think about such things."

That statement was made without malice, but it hurt Obi-Wan.

"I was never too busy for her," Obi-Wan whispered, and Han saw the regret.

"I didn't mean anything bad by that, Master Kenobi," Han said with conviction. "That's not what she thought at all."

Guilt was a very foreign emotion to the would-be pirate, and he shuffled his feet in his discomfiture.

"I just meant that…well…she just thought that you always wor…"

"Worried too much," Obi-Wan finished. His sigh was ragged.

Mace thought to excuse himself. These two would have to get to know one another, and he would afford them the privacy to do so.

He was also unwilling to learn anything he would have to confront Master Kenobi with in the next session of Council.

"I must return downstairs to await Master Yoda," he said quietly. "Excuse me, gentlemen."

"Thank you, Master."

Han glanced at Siri and remembered his manners. "It was nice meeting you, Master Windu."

He even remembered to bow this time.

"And you, Young Solo."

Mace shut the door behind him.

Obi-Wan kept pinching his chin with his thumb and index finger in repetitive strokes. It was a tell, a tic that Han realized, astutely, Kenobi used when he could not escape his thoughts.

Han paused for a moment. "She looks pretty beat up. I take it was bad."

He hesitated. "Were you there?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes against the thought. "No. She would not be lying here if I had."

Han watched him. "I don't know much about the Sith, but I do know _her_. There is no way she would have let you take her fight for her."

"It's because of me that she fought, Han."

"What makes you say that?" The question sounded dismissive.

"Ventress wanted me. She used Siri as bait."

Han was nonchalant. "She probably knew that, Ke…Obi-Wan." He shook his head with the dismay of the long-suffering. "Stubborn little…she probably put herself on the hook."

Obi-Wan found himself smiling a little. "You know her very well, don't you?"

"Sure," he answered noncommittally. "I've been around her for a while now. She talks a lot…She makes me listen…you understand what I mean."

Grateful to have something in common with the boy, Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"She doesn't shirk from a fight, Obi-Wan," Han told him. "But man…this one had to be nasty. This Ventress person…she an old girlfriend or something?"

Bile rose in Obi-Wan's throat, and he shuddered. "Stars, no."

"Well," Han began. "Whatever the motivation, if it had something to do with you, Siri would have kicked, clawed, scratched, spit…whatever she had to in order to defend you. Ya gotta know that, General."

"How much as Siri told you about us, Han?" Obi-Wan inquired gently.

"Enough." Han met his gaze. "She…Siri…you're the best friend she's ever had, Obi-Wan."

A little embarrassed, Han whispered. "You're special to her."

"So are you, Han."

His grin was lopsided and charming. "I know."

"That's part of why I've asked you here."

Han frowned his confusion. "Yeah?"

"Yes."

Obi-Wan felt Siri's thoughts, and closed his eyes.

_I know_, he whispered in his mind. _But he's calmer than I am._

_You don't have to do this now, love._

_I'm the only one in position to do this now, Siri._

_You needn't gloat, Kenobi._

_Hush, and let them finish._

_You're getting bossy._

Obi-Wan smiled and put his palm up to the glass.

_You'll have your turn later. For now, it is up to me._

_Very well. But I warn you, he is completely without sentiment. He doesn't mean anything by it. He just may laugh in your face._

_Just so long as he doesn't _strike_ my face._

Han could swear he saw Siri smile. He looked at Obi-Wan with more than mild curiosity.

"Uh…Obi-Wan? You all right?"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and noted the look of dismay on Han's face. The boy more likely thought he was crazy.

"Did you ever have the chance to meet Siri's master? Adi Gallia?"

"Er," Han stammered, confused from the turn of topic. "No. I heard she died."

Obi-Wan remembered he'd been too late to save her from Grievous' grip around her throat. His expression turned wistful. "Master Gallia loved Siri very much. She was the closest thing to real family Siri had. Until you."

"Master Gallia loved Siri?"

"As close as Jedi code would condone, I suppose. Nevertheless, she was very proud of the padawan she'd raised. It was an unavoidable attachment, if you will."

"Siri told me that you, she, and your masters were a tight group."

"Yes. We were a team."

"I bet that was pretty cool, huh?"

_Cool_? Obi-Wan thought. "If by 'cool' you mean to compliment, then yes. It was cool."

Han fought the urge to laugh at the General's ignorance of street speech, but he wisely remained silent.

"Anyway, after Master Adi merged into the Force, you became the one person she relied on, counted on. And…obviously…you've never failed her."

"If we're waxing good feelings then I can tell you she's never failed me either. She may lose some patience—and when she pinches my ear to gain my attention, it hurts—but…you know…she's cool. I can think of worse company."

"It's for those feelings that I must tell you that I plan on being with Siri from now on, Han," Obi-Wan told him fervently.

Han nodded understanding. "I figured that might happen after the mission."

"I plan to marry her."

Han hadn't expected the swift blow to his solar plexus from his words, and he let out breath.

"What about the Jedi code?"

"Han, she must have told you our history," Obi-Wan said emphatically. "Look at her. Think you now I could ever let her go again?"

"Okay," he muttered, still nodding. "I understand. She loves you, you know?"

"I love her too, Han."

"I figured that, too. It's all right, General. You don't have to worry about me. I won't get in the way."

Han raised his chin and took it like a man.

"When she's back on her feet," he began earnestly. "I won't bother you two. I promise. I'll…"

Obi-Wan frowned. "What?"

"You'll want to get a bigger place, you know? She'll probably weasel her way back into the Order, and you'll want to…"

Obi-Wan placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Wait a moment. Wait, Han. Just because we are going to be married, you will not vacate her life. She would not want that at all. Neither do I."

"I don't get it," Han said, perplexed. "You're not going to have time to bother with me…"

"I assure you, you are not a 'bother' to her. It would hurt her terribly if you were to walk out of her life, Han, and I won't have it."

"Then what…?"

"I am telling you of our plans because I seek your blessing," Obi-Wan smiled. "You are her brother. I am asking your permission to marry her."

"Huh?"

Patient, Obi-Wan now held on to both shoulders. "Han…it is very important to Siri and I that you approve of the union. It has been you to play the part of her champion these past years. I only ask that you let me share that…"

"Burden?" Han asked with total innocence.

Obi-Wan shouted his laughter. "Yes! I suppose that is true…"

_Watch it, Kenobi._

"You mean I can still hang out with her? With both of you?"

"Absolutely."

Han envisioned double the rules and regulations, the discipline and ethics. He groaned.

Then he thought of the temper he would face once she woke and said, "You have it."

He saw Obi-Wan's tired eyes light with pleasure. "You have my blessing, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan let out the breath he didn't know he'd held.

"Thank you," he brimmed with joy. "Thank you, Han."


	25. Time Out of Mind

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-Five- Time Out of Mind

Night came on and the quiet within Temple remained. Anakin had prepared a light meal for his wife's supper within the privacy of Obi-Wan's chambers. Their conversation was minimal, each contemplating the day's misadventures. Anakin knew the tale had been difficult for Padmé to hear. The idea that their best friend had almost succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force was hard to swallow.

Anakin doubted the image of sheer devastation on his master's face would ever leave him. In another time, there would have been nothing about Obi-Wan's actions that he would have tried to prevent. He understood the fear. He appreciated the anger. It was his own fear of Padmé's loss and the anger he'd felt at his ignorance of the future that had nearly made him seek solace in the Dark. That Obi-Wan was capable of such anguish had been inconceivable before today.

His love for his wife and hers for him was the most precious gift the Force had ever given him. He did not need to wonder what his life would become if anything ever were to happen to her. He wanted to believe he could survive it somehow, that accepting the joy that they had shared, that its sense of completion would be enough to carry the light forever. The Force whispered to him that he never need contemplate a life without her. She would be at his side in this life and the next. That would be more than enough for him.

When they finished dinner, Padmé helped him restore Obi-Wan's clinically-immaculate kitchen to rights. She joked with Anakin about his former master's fastidious organization, and his own lack of it.

Her husband remarked that he had not required housekeeping skills to pass his trials and gave her more reason to smile.

Anakin removed his utility belt and lightsaber. Padmé yawned, and he led her to what used to be his sleeping couch.

"If you would like to go home, angel, I could take you there."

She shook her head. "If you stay, I stay. I want to wait for word on Siri, too."

He settled behind her, pressing her back against his chest. She twined her fingers with his over her belly. She sighed her bliss.

"Are you comfortable?"

She moaned sleepily, relaxing against him.

He closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek against hers.

"This is nice, isn't it?" he crooned. "Just the two of us."

"Absolutely."

"I suppose this is the closest we'll get to a real honeymoon any time soon."

She chuckled a little. "There is a certain irony in that, isn't there? You and me, honeymooning at Jedi Temple."

Anakin grinned against her ear. "We didn't plan it very well, did we?"

"We'll consult a travel agent next time," she teased. "And with much better circumstances behind it."

He kissed her cheek. "Siri is going to be well, angel. I know it. Obi-Wan would have alerted us to any change."

"Can you feel them now?"

"I blocked them out," he told her softly. "I wanted to give them some privacy."

And give Obi-Wan time to reflect.

Anakin saw her eyelids flutter.

"Padmé, I should go check on them," he whispered. "You can rest here. I won't be long."

She nodded sluggishly and yawned again. "All right."

He eased his body out from behind hers, kissed her cheek and left her fast asleep.

♥

Anakin stopped in the hallway. Han Solo walked slowly toward him, head down and shoulders slumped.

"Han?"

The boy raised his head and looked at him. His eyes were bright with fatigue.

"Hi, Commander Skywalker."

"Everything go well with Siri's surgery?"

"Yeah, yeah," Han assured him, nodding. "They're about to put her in the bacta tank."

"Okay. I'm glad you were sent for. It will please her."

"Me, too. I better get going, though. I had just gotten home when the message came."

Anakin raised his hand, signaling for one of the knights on duty.

"Liam, please escort Mister Solo here to Master Kenobi's chambers…"

"You don't have to do that, Comm…"

"Han, you're asleep on your feet," Anakin replied. "Go upstairs and rest. Siri will be allowed visitors in the morning."

Han rubbed his tired eyes and smiled. "Thanks, sir."

Anakin clapped his shoulder. "My wife is there sleeping, too."

"I won't disturb Padmé, sir."

Anakin smiled his surprise. "_Padmé_?"

Han stood straighter. "Yeah. She asked me to call her that. She got tired of my…inability…to remember her proper title. Siri made me…I _volunteered_ as the senator's attaché one summer. I forgot you didn't know that."

"Well, thank you for your service, Han," Anakin said. "Now get some sleep."

"Yes, sir."

Anakin watched the boy be led away then continued on past the opened sliding door. The theatre was closed, and he turned another hallway to Recovery.

Siri's body, donned only with bands of material used to strategically cover private parts of her body for the preservation of modesty, was gently lowered into the tank. She continued to sleep. Her nostrils were clipped shut and the breathing apparatus over her mouth was securely in place. Already the shallow cuts on her face were healing, but the gash on her left side still looked dismally painful.

Anakin grimaced just looking at it.

Obi-Wan sat on a bench behind him.

"She looks better, don't you think?"

Anakin turned. Obi-Wan, disheveled from worry and exhaustion, was still watching Siri.

"Yes, she does, Master," he said quietly.

Obi-Wan swallowed and finally looked up at his friend.

"Thank you for coming for us, Anakin," he said with humility. "I don't know what I would've done if…"

He sighed and bowed his head. "Yes. Yes, I do know."

His mouth tightened with shame. "I would have killed her, Anakin. I almost killed her."

Anakin glanced at Siri to assure himself she was totally unconscious and would not know of their conversation.

He joined Obi-Wan on the bench.

Their tones were hushed.

"You were afraid, Obi-Wan. And you were angry. It's a natural reaction. You're human. You thought Ventress had murdered her."

"It's not the Jedi way."

Anakin nodded, but his lips pursed with reflection.

"If you're waiting for me to wag my finger at you and chastise you for behaving rashly, I will have to disappoint you, Master," Anakin told him. "I am hardly one to make censure in such a case."

"I wasn't hearing you, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied with self-reproach. "You came for us, and I…I wasn't going to let you stop me."

"You didn't do it, Master." He reminded gently. "Let that be enough."

Silence returned for several moments. They sat together, both watching Siri drift slumberous within the vertical tank.

Anakin said softly, "Tell me about it."

Obi-Wan knew what he referred. "It's a long story."

Anakin glanced at him absently. "Do we have something else to do?"

"Anakin, I am still trying to work it all out in my head…"

"Master, you told me today on that ridge that I didn't understand why you had been moved to the violence of your response. I want to understand it, and I want to help you. Explain it to me."

"We were only sixteen," Obi-Wan began, his mind drifting back. "We'd known each other since infancy, of course, but…we were sixteen when we discovered the truth of our attachment to one another. It was…overwhelming, to say the least, for two people at such a dangerously tender age."

"It's overwhelming at any age," Anakin told him.

"Yes, I suppose. It was made equally hard, given our circumstances."

Anakin sighed with gusto. "The Jedi Code."

"The Jedi Code. We'd gone on a mission with our masters, the details of which are irrelevant for now. Siri and I were entrusted to guard a young boy named, Taly, while Masters Qui-Gon and Adi looked for passage out of the system without detection. Taly was being hunted. You remember Taly."

Anakin nodded wordlessly. Obi-Wan continued.

"We were alone for days and when the mission was over…Qui-Gon confronted me about it. He said he could see it in our eyes."

Obi-Wan remembered the pain of what had come next. The sermon against attachment and heartbreak. The enlistment of Master Yoda in Qui-Gon's cause. It had resembled a crisis intervention, the three of them in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He remembered the anger he had felt at the unintentional implication that his love for Siri was an immoral travesty.

"It had hurt Qui-Gon that I had not asked him for his counsel. I explained that it would have hurt me to be unable to accept it. I knew what they were going to say. I just didn't want to hear it."

Anakin, naturally, knew that feeling well.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan faced him completely. "No one knows me better than Siri. It was always that way. From the time were youngling initiates. Every dream, every hope I held she understood. All my quirks and peccadilloes she had witnessed and soothed."

"And you were her cool head," Anakin smiled with kindness. A new level of understanding was passing between them. "Her responsible voice of reason."

"She used to tell me all the time that I worried too much," Obi-Wan replied. "I used to tell her that one of us had to worry because she never worried about anything. Her soul has always been hers."

That was achingly familiar to Anakin. The depth of his compassion sprung anew.

"What happened after Qui-Gon and Yoda finished speaking to you?"

"Siri had come in to tell us the fate of Taly's parents," Obi-Wan answered grimly. "They had been murdered."

"Oh."

"Yes. We were left alone and…she must have seen something on my face because she immediately took the defense. She asked me what they had said to me."

"But she knew."

"She knew. She confessed that she hadn't given any thought to our future. She'd been afraid to. You know her. That admission probably cost her more than I comprehended then."

_The uncertainty of the future_, Anakin pondered. Anything could have happened. The picture of their lives could have just as easily been a blank canvas. It did not necessarily have to be painted bleak.

"I asked her what she wanted to do, and…" Obi-Wan closed his eyes with the memory of her stepping away from him, her sadness gone in a flash and her Jedi backbone returned. "She succumbed to the pressure of making the 'right' decision, and we parted ways. She made me promise that we would never discuss it, and we never did."

Anakin swallowed, and his gaze narrowed. "That must have been _agony_."

"It got easier over time, just as Qui-Gon said it would," Obi-Wan told him. "Siri made sure it did. She stayed as far away from me as our positions allowed. She and Master Gallia would work on one end of the galaxy while Qui-Gon and I worked the other. When Qui-Gon died, and I was knighted…"

"She came back to Coruscant."

"She came back because Master Gallia had come to pay her respects. Siri had not come to see me. She waited until she could meet me in the Grand Hall, filled with people and no hope of privacy."

"Master, she probably just sought to make it easier for the two of you."

"Anakin, at that time, I hadn't seen her in years," he said, the dull misery of it still fresh in his memory. "I had just lost Qui-Gon and seeing her for the first time…I had spent those years restoring my resilience against her. I actually tried to forget her. I pretended that she was nothing but a foolish delusion."

"But you missed her."

"Terribly. I had promised her that I wouldn't talk about it. I stupidly thought that extended to thinking about her, too. And I did think of her. Every day, Anakin. I never stopped loving her."

Anakin tried to voice his thoughts. "How…how, by the Force, did you _ever_ manage it?"

"I didn't," he answered. "I know that now. Not seeing her, not holding her, Anakin, wasn't the worst of it. Oh no. The worst of it was knowing that I had lost my best friend. There was no one I trusted more with my thoughts. There was no one and nothing I took more comfort from and in than Siri. Qui-Gon's passing was nearly unbearable and when I saw her in that hallway, I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and let her alleviate my troubles as she had in the past. But, of course, I didn't."

He looked at her in the tank, radiant even now.

"The next time I saw her was in Council chambers after she resigned the Order. I was furious with her and at the time I didn't understand why."

Anakin thought he did. "You thought she did it to spite you. You hurt so much that you wanted to believe the worst of her to bring yourself comfort. You were furious because you thought all the suffering you had endured was for nothing."

Obi-Wan stared at him, incredulous. "I…you're right."

"Obi-Wan, she left because she could no longer feel one thing and practice another. She couldn't love you, be denied you, and keep pretending it didn't exist. So she left the Order. She never left _you_." Anakin watched him tentatively. "It was incredibly unselfish."

"With everything that has happened this past week, I have accepted some things about myself that I am not proud of. Not the least of which is what happened today."

"You and Siri came to some decision with your relationship? Obviously."

"Yes, we've come to the decision that the only resolution of our relationship is to have one. Full stop."

"I see."

"I imagine you do. I owe you a great debt, Anakin."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Your experiences have paved the way to new horizons for me."

Anakin thought of what Yoda told him, and he could not accept responsibility. "I think…"

"You knew what she was thinking yesterday, didn't you?" Obi-Wan said knowingly. "You felt her."

Reluctant, Anakin nodded.

"That's how you were out there today. You saw it."

"Yes."

"Could you sense us last night?"

"I didn't try."

"If you had, you would know that I cannot pretend to have a life without her, Anakin. She is the greatest joy in my life. Siri is the source of all my pleasure. I have her back, and I will not give her up."

"Master, you may not have to."

"But can you see why the thought that she…that I wouldn't…This is why we were warned against attachment, Anakin. I couldn't lose her after just…"

He sighed again. "It's appalling to know that I am capable of something so heinous as murder, Anakin," he breathed. "It was not just wanting Ventress to die. It wasn't just that I wanted to be the one to do it, but that I wanted it to be slow. I…don't think I would have made it quick and merciful."

Anakin didn't know how to word what he needed to say. "Look, Master…knowing what you do about me and my actions in the past, I cannot judge you. And I wouldn't even if I could. All the times you watched me fall victim to my own temper, to my vanity, you never once allowed me to wear the mantle of guilt. You think I would let you do it yourself when in all our career together, you shielded me?"

"Anakin, I never did anything you would not have raised yourself up from. I think you give me far too much credit."

"Were it not for your teachings, Obi-Wan, and the continued support of that woman pruning in the tank, I could have very well fallen to the Dark Side of the Force. I make no mistake about that."

"I underestimated your feelings for Padmé, Anakin," Obi-Wan confessed. "I actually dismissed them more than once as a childhood crush. I could have done a lot more for you if I'd…"

"You _could_ have. You _should_ have," Anakin scoffed, then sighed. "Regret will not serve you, Master. We have all done things we wish we could take back. Wasting time and thought on the things you can't control is pointless and ineffectual. It only prevents you from savoring the things you have now. And no one knows that more than I."

Obi-Wan stared at him with awe. "You're serious."

Anakin smiled. "Hard to believe, isn't it? Even I am amazed by the words that have come out of my mouth of late."

"I admire you so much, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered affectionately. "You've grown into a far better man than I had ever dreamed."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan."

"I have no idea what I am going to say before Council. My actions..."

"Don't think about it now," Anakin instructed. "Your obligation will come soon enough and when it does, I'll stand beside you."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I appreciate that."

Anakin's expression hardened. "Obi-Wan, Master Yoda has brought Asajj Ventress here to convalesce. I like it no better than you, but…"

"I will not seek her, Anakin. You needn't worry."

"I know you will not. It's the only way we can guarantee that she won't escape. She cannot be trusted in the care of anyone else."

"As long as she remains as far from Siri as possible."

"Master Yoda will see to it."

"Then that is all we can ask."

Obi-Wan changed the subject. "I saw Padmé in the Grand Hall earlier."

"She is sleeping upstairs in your room, if you don't mind."

"Of course not."

"Obi-Wan, I'm glad that you have your happiness back."

"So am I, Anakin. Thank you."

"Balancing it will come to you. Just…use the Force."

Anakin's COMMlink started wailing even as the door to the room slid viciously open. Anakin and Obi-Wan stood up, on alert, as a winded Han Solo shot into the room.

"What on…?" Obi-Wan gaped. "Han, what is it?"

"Commander Skywalker," Han panted. "Come quick."

He swiped his damp forehead with his sleeve, trying to catch his breath.

"It's Padmé," he cried, gulping for air. "You have to come!"

"Go!" Obi-Wan shouted, and Anakin Force-raced out of the room. He helped Han to sit down. "What happened?"

"The…lift…took…too long," Han wheezed. "I…I…ran…down the stairs…I'm outta shape."

"Focus, Han," Obi-Wan replied. "What's wrong with Padmé?"

Han shook his head vigorously, getting his breath. "She's in labor."

With beaming wonder, Obi-Wan grinned. "The baby is coming?"

Han nodded. "Quick, too."

Obi-Wan turned to Siri, whose eyes were wide-open.

He laughed.


	26. A Time for Every Purpose

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-Six- A Time For Every Purpose

Anakin concentrated so hard on returning to Obi-Wan's room that he nearly ran past Padmé and her Jedi Knights escorts in the hall.

"Anakin!"

"_Master_!"

He skid to an abrupt halt and fell to his knees beside the rolling chair. He stroked her cheek a little roughly in his harried state. His gaze searched her and was blind to the luminous grin on her face.

"Padmé," he said, his face etched with worry. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

"My water broke, Ani!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"What?"

The Knights exchanged a discreet grin.

Knight Corcoran bowed with respect. "Master, I believe Missus Skywalker is in labor."

The Skywalkers' gaze snapped up in unison.

"What?" Anakin repeated, stupidly, his brows knit.

"That's the first time anyone has ever called me that," Padmé whispered with emotion, her eyes moist. "Thank you, Liam."

"You're welcome, milady."

Waking up, Anakin asked, "The baby?"

His wife beamed with enthusiasm. "Yes."

"We should get her downstairs, Master."

"Wait! Wait. I didn't feel anything."

"I think it's enough that she _feels_ it, Ana…Master," Knight Gurgeas corrected himself.

Liam held the door to the turbolift open by the Force so they could get to it.

"But…the droids," Anakin muttered nervously. "Your medical droids."

"We'll call for them, Master," Liam replied calmly. "Gurgeas, contact Galactic City Med for the senator's droids and inform the Council. Let Mistress Bant know we're on our way down."

Gurgeas bowed and smiled good-naturedly. "Good fortune, Missus Skywalker. May the Force be with you, Master."

They entered the turbolift, and Padmé turned to her husband.

"Anakin, call Captain Typho and tell Motee to bring my bag," she told him.

"Your bag?" He still could not think coherently. "Your bag of what?"

"Ani, I didn't anticipate giving birth at Temple. I need my things."

"Angel, we're having a baby, not moving in."

She glared at him knowing he was making an inference to her habit of over-packing to go any where.

"Anakin…"

"Very well. I will contact them."

"And don't forget to send word to the Chancellor, the queen…oh!" She grasped her middle. "My parents and Sola!"

"I will, angel." There was a very distinctive lurch in his stomach, and he groaned. "Yep. It's starting."

Padmé breathed evenly through the contraction. "That wasn't bad."

Liam broke his silence to marvel. "You can feel it, Master?"

Padmé chuckled. "He and I are very connected, Liam."

Anakin ignored her humor and, for the sake of the Knight, composed himself.

"A Jedi's empathy is an admirable trait, Liam."

Liam's skepticism was poorly disguised. "Yes, Master."

"Owen and Beru will want to know," Padmé went on.

The door opened, and they led her into Temple Med. The area had filled in the span of a few minutes as word of the impending birth of the Chosen One's child had spread quickly through the thunderstruck Temple.

Bant met them before Theatre One.

"I am having quite a busy evening."

"Bant, we have her droids coming," Anakin told her. "I didn't think we should risk taking the time to get her to the hospital."

"You must be exhausted, Bant," Padmé replied apologetically. "I don't mean to trouble you."

"Nonsense, milady. I am happy to be of assistance. We'll settle you in here."

"Bant." Anakin leaned in to whisper. "We, er, can we get some of these people out of here? This is kind of private."

"It is _very_ private," Padmé chimed.

Liam nodded dutifully. "I'll clear the area, Master. You'll have your privacy."

"I doubt you will be able to keep the Masters away, Anakin," Bant said. "This is a momentous occasion for the Jedi. It's the first birth of a Jedi marriage in the history of the Order. It's the only birth at Temple."

He'd forgotten that.

Padmé looked turned to him. "What about Obi-Wan?"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, milady."

Obi-Wan sauntered to them, Han in tow. He leaned down to kiss her cheeks. "Hello."

"Siri?" she asked him.

He tittered. "On the fast road to recovery if her ire with being trapped in the bacta tank is any indication."

"She's _awake_?" Bant snapped.

"I think she sensed Padmé," Han answered.

"I think she heard you barrel into her recovery room like an angry tauntaun." Obi-Wan joked. "The young one here suffered a moment's panic."

"Don't pay him any attention, Han," Padmé told him softly. "You were wonderful. Very quick reflexes."

"No problem."

Another contraction hit, and she groaned. Anakin's face contorted with the pain and the effort to focus. He would be of no use to her if he could not control his senses.

"Oh no," Obi-Wan replied, watching the play of similar grimace on his friends. "You're feeling her."

Bant frowned. "Anakin, you must focus on something else."

Liam corralled the onlookers and directed them to the stairwell exits. Bant waved for her assistants and gave them instructions for preparing Padmé.

Padmé's eyes widened as they led her toward the theatre without her husband.

"Anakin!"

Her belly tightened again, and this time she could not contain her scream.

It was almost as loud as Anakin's.

Concern passed between Bant and Obi-Wan.

"The contractions are coming fast," Bant muttered. "We'll need to move quicker if there is any hope the _Chosen One_ will be lucid for the birth of his child."

"Perhaps now is not the time to tease him, Bant."

"Padmé," Anakin moaned, trying to keep his equilibrium. "I'm coming."

Bant thought for a moment.

"This is what we shall do. We need a buffer between Anakin and the senator. I'll get a healer to work on Anakin so that I may concentrate on Padmé and the baby. They're preparing her now. That's good. Word was absolutely sent to her droids?"

"Knight Gurgeas used his COMM link upstairs, mistress," Liam assured her.

"Good. They should be here soon."

"Serve as their buffer, I will."

The group turned to see Master Yoda standing patiently to the side, leaning characteristically on his gimer stick.

"Thank you, Master," Anakin breathed, humbly.

He doubled over and nearly hit the floor. Obi-Wan took hold of one arm while Han grasped onto his other.

Curious by the goings-on, Han said, "Whoa there, Commander. Steady."

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan remarked, and they led Anakin to the nearest bench.

"I have to get in there," Anakin told them, trying to stand. "By the Force! This kid's in a hurry."

"Come along, Master Skywalker." Yoda tapped the point of his stick to the floor. "Master Kenobi, take him inside. Follow I will. Bant, show the droids in when they arrive. Remain, you must. The child…a Jedi he is."

"Yes, Master."

Liam stood beside Bant at the observation window, watching with her as Anakin entered what would be the delivery room.

He folded his arms over his chest.

"Mistress Bant, did you ever think you would see anything like this?"

"Are you jesting? Of course not."

Liam glanced at her profile, his expression stoic.

"I think it's wonderful."

Bant looked at the young knight and smiled.

"Yes it is, Liam."

She watched Master Yoda keep to the darkest corner of the room and close his eyes. Within moments, Anakin stood erect and his eyes visibly cleared. He stood beside the table and held his wife's hand.

"Yes, it is."

†

Master Windu relieved Master Aayla Secura of her current watch.

"Is there anything to report?"

"No." Aayla moved to stand beside him at the doorway. "She's awake, but she still hasn't said anything."

"It's just as well," Mace replied, staring at their prisoner. "The Senate is sending their committee here for her questioning in the morning. I want this interrogation to go cleanly. I want no accusation of Jedi interference."

"Master, do you believe she would try implicating the Jedi in her ridiculous plot?"

"I believe her capable of anything."

"But she must know that her sentencing will not be minimized."

"Master Secura, it is for that reason she cannot be underestimated. When you no longer have anything, you have nothing to lose. Her feeling may be that if she is to go down, she should take the Jedi with her."

"But she has nothing on the Jedi that the Senate would remotely put faith in, Master."

"It only takes one lie, Aayla," he told her soberly. "The biggest storms begin with the smallest breeze. Be mindful."

"Of course, Master."

He sighed and turned to smile at her. "Go. Get some rest."

"I am going to visit with Tachi for a minute than I'll go see how Senator Amidala fares."

"I just left them. It's still slow going as yet."

"I wonder what is taking so long."

"Her medical droids were saying something about dilation and tearing."

Aayla made a face for her thoughts. "Tearing? That sounds painful."

"It must be," Mace concurred. "The senator began rumbling rather harsh accusations at Master Skywalker after its mention."

"Surely it's natural."

"How would I know? I am a Jedi, and more directly, a man. This is a new experience for all of us."

"Well I am a woman, Master, and I don't know what they're talking about."

"Then it is your business to educate yourself, and remember: tell me everything."

"Of course, Master."

She touched his shoulder, and Mace looked at the hand on him strangely.

"I'll leave you to Ventress," she told him. "Good night, Master."

"Good night, Master Secura."

†

The medical droids secured the partition shielding Padmé from her sternum down, and the hologram monitors switched on and hovered over her.

Anakin stared at dual images in confusion.

"Is he all right?" Padmé whimpered, meaning the baby.

Her labor was coming harder now, but she knew the brunt of her pain was being absorbed by the tiny, loyal Jedi Master meditating in the corner. Anakin mopped her sweat-soaked brow, still staring at the pictures.

Obi-Wan saw the orbs from the observation window and turned to Bant.

"What is that?"

"It's the baby," Bant told him.

Han rolled his eyes, "You remember the baby don't you, Obi-Wan?"

"I know that," he said impatiently. "But is that two views of him? Why is his heart rate ninety-two on one side and one hundred one on the other?"

Bant's gaze narrowed and her lips formed an 'O'.

"That's not the same baby…" she whispered.

"Huh?" Han goggled sharply.

"Yes, 'huh'? What do you mean, Bant?"

She brought her hands to her heart and grinned with elation.

"Oh! she exclaimed jubilantly. "It's twins!"

Inside the theatre, Anakin roared, "_Twins_?"

Padmé cried with love, "Oh, Anakin! Isn't this wonderful?"

Stunned, he stared at his beloved wife. "Did you know?"

She shook her head vigorously, riding the crest of another contraction.

The blasted medical droid replied, "The senator wanted it to be a surprise, Commander Skywalker."

"A surprise?" He turned his attention back to the droid. "A _surprise_! These are your 'top-notch' medical droids?"

"Ani…"

"A surprise by definition, sir, is…"

Anakin bared his teeth. "I'm going to need the name of your programmer."

"Ani…" Padmé uttered with exasperation.

He bent forward and placed a gentle kiss on her brow.

"Forgive me, angel," he whispered, then raised to face the droid again. "I'm going to need the name of your programmer. _Please_."

The droid's mechanical head dipped to one side. "My programmer is…"

"No," Padmé shouted. "Anakin, he only did as I requested. I wanted us to be surprised. It isn't his fault."

"The identity of a boy or girl was to be the surprise," he seethed, overwrought. "_Not_ that there would be two children at once!"

"What are they?" Padmé asked, her chest heaving.

Anakin didn't hear her. "That's not a surprise. This is an ambush!"

"You carry a boy and a girl, Senator."

Tears came down her cheeks, and she squeezed Anakin's hand.

"We have a son _and_ a daughter, Ani," she cried. "We were both right."

He remembered the first time he had felt the baby kick, and he had told her then that with a kick like that, the baby was definitely a girl. Padmé had boasted motherly intuition that it was a boy.

His heart overflowed with the instantaneous and deep love he felt for all three of them.

Dazed, Anakin turned to look through the glass of the observation window to his master.

There looked to be celebration going on amongst the Jedi watching them.

Obi-Wan was grinning madly and giving him a thumbs-up. Bant wrapped her long arms around the unsuspecting Han and was jumping up and down.

_There are two, Master._

_Fantastic, Anakin! Great work!_

_There's two of them…_

_Yes, yes, Anakin. You are doubly blessed, old friend. Now see to your wife, and bring them forth into this world._

"You are ready, Senator," the droid said monotone. "Push with the next contraction."

"Okay," Padmé nodded and looked at Anakin. "Are you ready, darling?"

"No," he replied, honestly, almost afraid of what was to come.

Anakin took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. He crouched and steadied himself with one knee on the floor. No dummy, he gave her his artificial hand to squeeze and placed his flesh hand on top to give her comfort. He steeled himself for the birth.

"All right, angel," he said softly. "Focus now."

"Push, senator."

Padmé's head fell back in relief few moments later, and Anakin watched with astonishment as his gurgling, obvious, baby boy was brought up from under the partition in the mitts of the droid assistant. He could see tufts of blonde hair matted on his little head.

He strained his neck, watching the droid walk over to tall table.

"It's our son, Padmé," he told her quietly, his throat constricting with emotion.

Her head bobbed sleepily.

"Luke…" she said with a smile. "Luke."

Padmé grit her teeth against a new wave of tensing, and the lead droid bent again.

"Your daughter comes, Senator."

"Okay, Padmé," Anakin cooed. "We're almost done, angel."

Padmé screamed, her body vibrating with her efforts and in no time at all, their daughter wailed her first breath of free oxygen, her small face scrunching her displeasure.

Anakin grinned as they wrapped her squirming body with a blanket.

"Is she all right?"

Anakin quickly counted her fingers and toes as he had Luke. Her tiny rosebud lips quivered with her furious cries.

"She's perfect!" he choked with happiness. "She looks just like you!"

Padmé chortled weakly from exhaustion. "She's screaming therefore, she looks just like me?"

"I get to name her," Anakin said quickly, watching the droid efficiently clean his daughter with a damp cloth. "You got to name Luke; I get to name our girl."

Padmé sighed, having turned her head to look on her children.

"Yes, darling."

He kissed her hand then stepped over to the incubator.

Luke was fast asleep. He caressed his son's soft head with his finger. He then turned to the droid who still held his daughter.

"May I?" he asked, holding out his arms.

"Certainly, Commander."

The infant was placed gently into his arms, and her crying immediately ceased. Her large, curious, brown eyes fixed on him.

Anakin was overcome.

"Leia," he crooned. "Leia Skywalker."

He carried her over to Padmé, and the droid followed with Luke.

Bant observed from the gallery and remarked to Obi-Wan. "I sense strong potential for Daddy's Girl Syndrome here, Obi-Wan."

"I don't understand."

"You'll see."

Han sighed with relief. "That was intense."

"Make notes for future reference, Young Solo," Bant told him. "One day, your turn at fatherhood will come."

Han reared back, revolted. "I'm never having kids!"

Obi-Wan watched the new family bond and asked, "You don't plan to marry one day, Han?"

"No," he muttered in disgust. "_Why_?"

Yoda opened his eyes and looked on the physical representation of the future.

"The birth of the New Jedi Order arrived," he solemnly whispered to himself, watching Skywalker carry the infants to the window for his friends to see.

"Great hope, they are." Master Yoda stepped out of the shadows and the fatigue left him, his features alight with pleasure. "A great hope."

†

These were the moments that would define Anakin Skywalker forever.

His family had been moved to an improvised private room off the surgical theatre with a wide window providing them a breathtaking view of sunrise over Galactic City. Padmé, tired but glowing, sat up in the bed and nursed their daughter. Anakin watched her rock Leia, back and forth, and was himself soothed by the lullaby she hummed.

He adjusted his hold of his son and looked into Luke's blue eyes so solemnly like his own.

_His son_, he thought.

Luke would never know the life he had. There was no mystery surrounding his birth. He would know and practice daily the wealth of love his parents had for him and his sister. He had the privilege of extended family in the Jedi Order. He would be raised to freely express his thoughts, trained to value the differences between right and wrong, and would grow into a man unmarred by doubt and the poison of the Sith.

It was in these moments alone with his wife and children that Anakin finally understood what his true purpose in life would be. He knew why he was the Chosen One. There was more in him than bringing balance to the Force. There was more than his power as a Jedi.

It was to continue to preserve and protect those who shared the honor of parenthood, the trillions in the galaxy who did not have his gifts but knew the instinct in wanting to provide a better life for their progeny. Life was a cycle of renewal, and he would play a large part in it for the rest of his life. Nothing could be more important than maintaining freedom and guarding peace. And later, when his body would slow in his very mature years and the Force beckoned him to transform, his son would be here to carry-on the ideals of his father and serve the Force and the Republic as he had. There would be many more Skywalkers to follow and the tradition would continue.

Padmé laughed as Leia gurgled intelligently, and he grinned. He carried Luke to the bed, and he sat down next to his wife.

Anakin Skywalker lived for this.


	27. There Are No Missions

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-Seven- There Are No Missions

The COMM link vibrated on the nightstand next to Obi-Wan's head. He groaned and turned lazily on the mattress. His eyes were heavy, and he struggled to open them. His head felt as though it was filled with weighty cobwebs. Straining, he raised himself upright, swinging his legs over the side of the sleep couch.

The COMM link began its infernal buzzing of impatience for answer, and he swiped his groggy face with his hands.

_Oh-seven hundred_, he blearily read on the digital clock panel. He managed to sleep a whole three hours. That wasn't too bad these days.

He snatched up his wristware COMM link, and Master Windu's miniscule hologram instantly appeared.

"Master Kenobi, the Council will meet at oh-seven-thirty for your debriefing," Mace instructed.

"Yes, Master."

"Do not be tardy."

"No, Master."

The image disappeared, Obi-Wan stood, strapping the band onto his wrist. He would have to rush his morning ritual if he was going to see Siri before he met with Council.

This would be more than a debriefing of Sly Moore and Ventress' capture.

He thought about it as he stripped off his sleep pants and stepped under the shower spray.

It would be about his weakness. He would be made to answer for his homicidal outburst on the cliff. He could offer no more explanation to what they knew was fact. A fancy array of words would not assist him. Then the core of why he reacted so uncharacteristically brutal would reveal itself.

Master Yoda and Anakin knew the truth, but would he be comfortable discussing what was an innately private matter before the entire Jedi Council? He was just beginning to understand it himself. As much as he cared for his friends, was he prepared for the possibility of their disdain? Would he be able to stand tall and forthright once they knew the depth of his attachment?

He dried himself with a towel and reached for his leggings and under-tunic, shaking his head of his musings. He dressed quickly and began brushing his teeth.

Obi-Wan was no longer a naïve and pliable padawan learner to be scolded. He would not stand meekly against any ridicule, and he would not concede to anything less than their complete acceptance. He remained the Jedi they had always known. His affection for Siri could no longer be considered a transgression to be vilified.

He pulled up his boots, belted his over tunic, forgot his unmade bed, and left his chambers. His steps were brisk in the corridor to the turbo lift.

As for the other…yes. His actions were abominable. He had responded to the heat of the moment with his heart, not the clarity of his intellect. It had been a test of his fortitude that he had failed miserably, but Anakin was right. He could not change it.

He had no assurance that it would not happen again. Siri's choice of profession and the very nature of the of a Jedi's commitment to the Republic would necessitate her placement in harm's way innumerable times. All he and the Council had in their favor was the hope that he would get accustomed to the renewed bond he shared with her and balance would return to normal.

He stepped off the lift and into the medical facilities of Temple.

There may not be absolution after his attempt on Ventress' pathetic life, but he would deal with their decision when it came. Watching his dearest friends welcome the birth of their children had served to make him aware of the fact that though he had lived a good life of security and self-awareness, he'd never known what it was to be truly happy. Anakin understood the purpose of life, and Obi-Wan thought that perhaps he would someday as well.

_And it started with a petite but dangerous blond_…

The door slid open, and Obi-Wan saw that the bacta tank was empty.

…_A restless, now-absent blonde_…

Siri cleared her throat, and Obi-Wan turned to find her sitting up in a bed. Her hair was unbound and shining, falling over one shoulder to her waist. Natural color had returned to her skin, and her eyes glowed. Her smile was glorious.

He was at her bedside in one long stride. Without ceremony, he kissed her.

"Good morning," he told her once he ended the kiss.

She grinned. "It is now."

He cradled her face with his hands. "You appear to be mending quickly."

"I was getting water-logged in that tank."

She watched his gaze roam over her hospital-gown clad form and raised his chin to bring his eyes level with hers.

"I'm fine, Obi-Wan," she whispered lovingly. "I'm fine."

He stroked her cheek. "Council is assembling in a moment. I cannot stay."

Her expression was inscrutable, but she nodded. "It's about Ventress."

"Yes."

He felt her thoughts before she voiced them.

"I meant every word I said to you yesterday, Tachi," he told her firmly. "I will marry you."

"Obi-Wan, what if…?"

"It's under control," he replied, knowing what she was about to ask. "I am prepared for any decision they make. I will not give you up, Siri."

He released her and stepped back, folding his arms against his chest. It was a habit of his she recognized he incorporated whenever he thought to get his way, and it made her bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"So if you're planning to walk away…_again_…you should know I will only follow you."

"I could never walk away from you now," she whispered, her heart in her eyes. "I love you."

He exhaled his held breath, and his arms dropped. He cleared his throat.

"Well," he began authoritatively, hands on his hips. "That settles that."

"You'd better get to Council."

"I will return as soon as we're finished."

"Thank you."

Unable to resist, he kissed her once more. "If you give me your word you will remain in this bed while I'm gone, I will take you to see Anakin's children. Is that a deal?"

She nearly bounced with glee. "Deal!"

He pressed the entry panel and the door slid open.

"Heed me, woman, and stay here." He grinned when she her gaze narrowed. "I love you."

†

"Master, are you unwell?"

Yoda turned his attention away from the view of the city and to the Jedi Master at his side.

"Tired, Master Windu," he answered, the wrinkled corners of his mouth lifting. "That is all."

Mace nodded with empathy. "I fear sleep will not come to me for more time yet. There are still the trials of Moore and Ventress."

"To the Senate, the responsibility of them we shall give."

"Master Kenobi will be here soon."

"Visits with Master Tachi he does now."

Something flickered in Master Windu's eyes. "Do you know what goes on between them, Master?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Yoda turned back to the window. "To them the decision is, Master Windu. Interfere, I cannot."

"We lost Master Tachi years ago, Yoda. But to lose Kenobi…"

"Earned this opportunity they have, Master Windu," Yoda told him, austerely, turning his head to look at him again. "Fought fiercely for their faith."

Mace glanced around the room to make certain no one eavesdropped. "The strength of their regard could have pulled him to the Dark Side, Master Yoda. We cannot ignore that."

"No more mindful of that than Master Kenobi is. Fail us, he has never. Neither has Master Tachi."

"Yoda," Mace began quietly. "I do not wish for Obi-Wan to leave the Order."

"Leave that to him, we must."

"What happens if either of them are placed in perilous conditions again, hmm? If only there were some way we could give surety to ourselves that he can balance the Light with the Dark…"

"The impossible you seek, Master Windu," Yoda chastened. "Disparage your own faith in the Force, you will not."

"Yes, Master," Mace sighed.

"If a test you require, then a test we have. Be you patient, Master Windu. Master Kenobi will not fail us."

"Masters?" Knight Gurgeas called, then bowed when they faced him. "Everyone has arrived."

"Show them in, Jacen," Mace replied and sat down in his chair.

All members of Council were physically present for this session. Had they returned to Coruscant for the birth of Anakin's children, or was it the business of his debacle that brought them here? He certainly hoped it was the former. There was collective consternation and displeasure on their faces so he surmised it was the latter.

The aura of the room was as formal and forbidding as always. That observation strangely comforted Obi-Wan. He was wise enough to refrain from taking his seat and stood in the center of the circle waiting to be addressed. He respectfully bowed.

"Master Kenobi," Yoda stated. "Hear the details of our prisoners' capture we will."

"You may start with Korriban, Master," Mace informed him. "We have your intel from Eriadu on record."

The nod of support from Master Yoda was so subtle, Obi-Wan would have missed it had he not been looking for it.

"Mistress Tachi's visions are what led us to Korriban," he began. "It was only after our arrival, separation, and our individual confrontations with the suspects that I was made aware of the trap set by Asajj Ventress."

"You suspected nothing untoward upon your descent into Korriban?" Stass Allie inquired.

Obi-Wan recalled distinctly where his mind had been in that hour. He had been consumed with completing the assignment and returning home with Siri.

"I was distracted," he admitted, glumly. "I make no excuse."

Aayla Secura assumed, "So once you landed, you headed in one direction and Master Tachi in another."

"Mistress Tachi knew Ventress waited for her, didn't she." Mace made the statement.

"I have no knowledge of that," Obi-Wan answered honestly. "Only Siri could tell you for certain."

Ki-Adi-Mundi shifted attentively in his chair. "Where did you find Sly Moore?"

"A cavern within the Hill of the Entombed Sith," Obi-Wan flatly stated. "She and Ventress had established a strategy base there."

"We have several knights overseeing the deconstruction of it and are returning with it to Coruscant," Master Windu informed the group.

"And Sly carried their plans?"

Obi-Wan turned to Shaak-Ti. "When I found Sly, she was admiring the genius of it. She called it 'the ultimate weapon'."

Yoda nodded. "Managed to obtain the details of it from the flimsi you gave me last night, we did."

"It corresponds with what we learned from the traitor, Tarkin," Mace added.

"That part of your mission was entirely successful."

"I took the device from her with no contest, Masters."

"But when Master Yoda and Commander Coty arrived to collect Sly, she was unconscious." Ki-Adi-Mundi stared at him. "Why, Master Kenobi?"

_Here it comes_, Obi-Wan thought, then dismissed it to concentrate on the truth.

Obi-Wan kept his tone even. "Sly Moore confessed to what Ventress had manipulated. It was disclosed that in an effort to be a Sith master, she used Siri as bait to lure me into battle and…"

He kept his posture straight and his gaze ahead. "Would then try turning me to the Dark Side. She wanted me as her apprentice."

There were no looks of surprise, no startled gasps. There was silence. Obi-Wan felt the acceptance in the room and said nothing more, waiting for one of them to insist on further explanation.

He saw in vivid detail how he had slapped the mockery off Sly Moore's face. He remembered the zing through his arms as he pushed her roughly to the ground and the sound her head made once it smacked the rock wall. The images in his mind that had come to him then, returned to him now. He had seen the ferocious duel between Siri and Ventress and could think of nothing more at that moment than getting there to stop them.

He had been heedless of his own warning.

Shaak-Ti was the first to speak again. "You struck Sly."

"Yes."

"Was it knowledge of the trap that provoked you?"

He met her gaze levelly. "It was knowing she had helped to put Siri in danger, Master Shaak-Ti."

Stass Allie sighed. She had heard, of course, the rumors that had spread like disease through Temple, but she had not wanted to believe it. She would have to believe it now.

"So you gave injury to someone who could not fight you," she muttered with disgust, not so much at her friend as to the whole situation. "Master Kenobi, the Force guides us to compassion in the face of adversity. What you did…"

"What I did is reprehensible, Master, I will admit to that. That I was out of my head, I will also confess. My primary motivation was not to hurt Sly, but to get to Siri."

"Mistress Tachi is a former Jedi," Ki-Adi-Mundi reminded him. "And well-trained to oppose Ventress which is more than Sly Moore can claim."

"I was not thinking rationally, Master Mundi. I could see Siri defend herself against Ventress' attack. She was hurt. She needed my help."

"How did you find Siri and Ventress?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment to focus on his breathing. Masters Yoda and Windu exchanged looks.

"The Dark Side of the Force is strong there," Obi-Wan said softly. "Siri's essence was stronger."

He opened his eyes and continued his tale.

"I felt her," he told them. "I felt every hit she took. I felt the blade of Ventress' saber cut her. She was weak. There was something else calling me, Masters. I do not know what it was."

"Ventress' lure."

"No," he replied quickly. "The Force was whispering the warnings, but I…I could not hear it."

"You _would not_ hear it," Ki-Adi-Mundi said with disappointment. "You allowed your _friendship_ with Mistress Siri to cloud your judgment."

Obi-Wan let the intended slight of guilt pass and went on. "By the time I had reached the cliff, Siri had already gone over. I did not know where she was. I approached Ventress to ascertain her location."

"You attacked her, Master Kenobi," Mace said with regret. "She lay defenseless on the ground, and you attacked her."

"You nearly gave her exactly what she wanted. Your murder of her would have cemented you on the Dark Path."

"Where was your cognizant thought, Master Kenobi?" Stass Allie joined. "What you did is completely against the foundation ethics of this Order. A Jedi is not supposed to know anger or hatred or…"

"Love," Yoda finished.

The Masters turned to give him their attention. Obi-Wan remained temperate.

"Romantic love it is." Yoda looked only at Obi-Wan. "The strongest form of attachment."

"It was not your place to judge Ventress' fate, Master Kenobi."

"Your desire to kill Ventress was trumpeted by your fear of Mistress Tachi's loss and your anger that Asajj caused it," Ki-Adi-Mundi declared. "It was greed that made you deaf to the will of the Force."

It was a wonderfully good sign to Obi-Wan that no anger roused from the insensitive comment.

"Siri Tachi's death was most certainly not the will of the Force, Ki," Shaak-Ti spat vehemently. "Romantic attachment or no, we cannot expect him or anyone else to claim that Siri's death in such a manner was prophesied."

"Mistress Tachi must have seen it, else she would have remained with Kenobi to make their case as a team," Ki-Adi-Mundi argued.

"Sought only to complete another assignment I gave her, Mistress Tachi did," Yoda said unequivocally.

This time there was the titter of surprise.

"Foresee that end, I did not," he told them. "To help her, my motivation as well. My doing it was, that Siri met her willingly."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I do not understand, Master."

"To spy on Chancellor Palpatine I asked her," he replied. "Turn Ventress back to the Light Side of the Force, I bid. Ventress' true treachery, suspect we did not."

The master's troll-like features showed defeat and remorse. "Failed you both, Master Kenobi…I did."

The disclosure left everyone agog.

Stass Allie interjected, "Whatever Mistress Tachi's reason, it does not excuse Master Kenobi's lapse in sanity."

Obi-Wan had heard enough. "I cannot excuse my actions, Masters, but thinking on it now, I also cannot be required to repeatedly apologize for them. Lame contrition it may be, but there is nothing I can do now to erase it. I regret that I was reduced to my emotions, but I cannot and I will not request forgiveness for loving Siri."

That was it. He could not make it more plain to them. He braced himself for their understandable frustration and their possible motion for his dismissal from the Order.

Mace sighed and searched for words carefully. "You have always been the more contemplative and more passive Jedi among us. It is not easy to realize that you could be moved to such desperation from your regard for one person."

"My feeling for her is not new, Master. I have never _contemplated_ anything more often and _passively_ did nothing about it as I have my love for Siri."

Obi-Wan felt his jaw working with the effort to control his sentiment.

"All the teachings against forming and maintaining attachments has a reason behind it, and I know that my dealings on the cliff are the proof of it," he said. "I would like to believe, however, that that moment will not label me. I have served the Force and this Order obediently and deferentially until now. I, respectfully, ask for pardon."

"Master Kenobi," Shaak-Ti called quietly. "Is it your intention to remain with Master Tachi?"

"Without question, Master Shaak-Ti."

"Any policy regarding Jedi marriages has yet to be discussed or determined, Master Kenobi," Stass Allie harked.

"At present, Master Skywalker is merely an exception to the rule," Ki-Adi-Mundi supplemented.

Obi-Wan spied another wordless exchange between Yoda and Mace.

"And one wonders why that is." Shaak-Ti sarcastically remarked to Allie and Mundi. "I imagine _your_ acceptance of Master Skywalker's situation had _nothing_ to do with the fact that his wife was breeding…as it turned out, twins…that are _Jedi_."

"What are you implying, Shaak-Ti?"

"I think she's not-so-subtly accusing you of basing your forgiveness of Anakin on his children as new additions to the Order," Aayla told Ki. "That is correct, isn't it, Shaak-Ti?"

"Yes, it is, Master Secura. Thank you."

Aayla clucked her tongue reprovingly. "A shadow of your greed that was, Stass."

"Well," Ki stuttered. "I have never…"

"No, you haven't and neither have we, Ki," Aayla replied impatiently. "We are not in love and therefore, are in no position to judge it."

"I, for one, will not condone Obi-Wan's dismissal from the Order," Shaak-Ti voiced adamantly.

_I _am_ still in the room_, Obi-Wan thought, fascinated by the byplay.

"Enough with this pointless bickering!"

They quieted, with great reluctance, at Master Windu's demand.

His patience thin, Mace uttered. "What you did is indefensible, and it is right that you feel remorse for it."

Obi-Wan bowed his head with acknowledgement. "Yes, Master."

"Rush to dismiss you, we would not."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

"Obi-Wan," Mace began kindly. "You must learn to temper your feelings. I do not pretend to have knowledge on the ways of accomplishing it in this matter, but you must try. There are ways of channeling the dark into the light."

"Trust the difference, you must."

"We have no assignment to give you at the moment," Shaak-Ti said.

Aayla nodded. "There are no missions. The Senate has taken over the majority of the restoration efforts."

Ki-Adi-Mundi and Stass Allie remained silent.

"An assignment would give you time away to focus on something else until you have trained yourself to handle the intensity of being separate from Siri," Master Windu explained. "I do not wish to punish you."

Obi-Wan nodded with empathy. "I know, Master."

"A task there is which you may use for atonement," declared Yoda, and glanced at Mace. "Arrive here today, the Republic Solicitor Generals do. Interrogate Ventress, they mean."

The light dawn for Mace. "Yes…Once they have finished and they commandeer her custody, they will require Jedi escort back to Galactic City Capital Prison on the Lower Level."

Obi-Wan waited, unwilling to voice his thoughts. Shaak-Ti and Aayla looked at one another with dread.

"Escort Ventress," Yoda dictated. "_You_ will."


	28. Rise of the House of Skywalker

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Twenty-Eight- The Rise of the House of Skywalker

Anakin knew better than to barge through the doors of Council chambers. He had no choice but to wait, pacing out his anxiety in the foyer. That Council had been called to session so soon had been unexpected. He supposed he should have known better. The Council preferred to close their side of any investigation before turning over the cases and relinquishing prisoners to the care of the Galactic Senate.

He would not focus on the accounts in the room. The masters would easily sense his snooping. Obi-Wan must have been notified of it very shortly before it had been called to order, for Anakin knew his master would have alerted him. As it was, had Knight Corcoran not informed him of it, he would not be here to offer support for his mentor.

There would be no more secrets after today. Everyone's laundry would be aired to the Council, and the preaching against attachments would doubtlessly begin anew. Anakin was not so arrogant to believe that all the rules would change because of him. It was also was not beyond his scope of detection that their acceptance of his life choices had not been entirely altruistic. Nevertheless, he loved them. If they could ignore the differences between them, then he could let their double-standards slide. It wasn't as though he could deny his children their high-midichlorian counts or their right to Jedi Knighthoods.

He was not worried about Obi-Wan. He knew that his master would accept any decision they would make for good or bad. Obi-Wan's determination now was to live with Siri. He would do that as a member of the Order or not.

_It has been a strange pair of weeks_, Anakin thought. Never in his wildly active imaginings did he ever think Obi-Wan Kenobi would consider leaving the Jedi. He'd always assumed that it would be he to do so. That Anakin would remain and Obi-Wan could be dismissed was…

_Not likely_. Anakin would fight against it. Just as Obi-Wan had been fully prepared, complete with untiring filibuster, to fight for his place here.

He stopped treading the carpet when the doors slid open, and Obi-Wan walked out of the room. The doors shut once more, and Anakin noticed the utter lack of expression on his friend's face.

Obi-Wan was not surprised to find Anakin skulking within the outer foyer to Council chambers. It brought a weary smile to his face. He had felt his friend's impatience while he'd been issued their edict. It was good to know Anakin had waited for him and had not interrupted them. Matters could have been much worse for both of them.

Anakin turned expectantly to Obi-Wan.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan called gently, his eyes soft. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know Council was meeting his morning," he said, stepping closer. "I would have been here sooner."

"You should be with your family."

Anakin followed Obi-Wan out onto the concourse.

"You are as much my family as Padmé and the babies," he declared firmly. "Now. What happened in there?"

Obi-Wan would spare him the transcript and get straight to the point.

His voice was monotone. "They are not certain I can be trusted with my emotions as yet. They wish to challenge my fortitude in the face of potential threat. I am to focus on an assignment. Siri is to be a non-factor in the equation."

Obi-Wan stepped out onto an open terrace overlooking the early morning traffic of Galactic City.

Anakin stood beside him at the railing. "A trial as _penance_?"

"I will not be asked to leave the Order providing I can sufficiently prove restraint when deliberately provoked."

Anakin nodded his understanding. "So the decades of selfless dedication and valorous service to the Jedi and the Republic has been dismissed over a single transgression."

"It only takes one misstep. Admit it, Anakin. It was an enormous lapse. We expected this."

"What manner of experiment did they propose?"

"The satire of my performance yesterday provided them their assignment."

Obi-Wan met Anakin's gaze evenly and silently told him what he wanted to know.

Anakin's stern expression did not change as he uttered, "You are not serious."

"I may not be, but I assure you the Council absolutely is."

"They asked you to serve as her guard in transition."

"Yes," he sighed, placing his hands on the railing and staring ahead. "I am to wait outside her room while the Senate's inquisitors grill her—a futile effort, to be certain—and then I am to escort her to Galactic City Capital Prison."

"This…we didn't anticipate."

Anakin paused for a moment and said, "Obi-Wan, Ventress has been contained. She's poses no more a threat to you or Siri than…my boot."

Obi-Wan's glance swept him up then down. "Considering the weight and strength of your foot within said boot, your analogy is, at best…"

He sighed again and stroked his chin. "Not at all helpful."

"Don't be flip, Obi-Wan," Anakin chided. "I am serious. Your situation is not what it was yesterday, and Siri is well."

"I know all that."

"Then Ventress will not be a problem for you."

Obi-Wan turned to him and took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Anakin, what happens when it is not Ventress to stir mayhem?" he asked soberly. "Think about it. You know what I mean. It's always something, Anakin. There cannot be peace everywhere, all the time.

"It would be absurd to fault the Council for their decision when all their points are valid."

"I _don't_ fault them," Anakin replied. He shook his head.

"Obi-Wan, you're going to have to make a decision. We cannot continually revisit the topic of your guilt 'til the stars burn out."

"Sleep deprivation clearly doesn't become you," Obi-Wan sneered good-naturedly.

"And your self-pity is aging you before my eyes," Anakin countered. "Now, listen to me, Obi-Wan, and try—_please—_ to absorb what I'm telling you…"

"This is a bit...odd."

"What?"

"I feel as though you are about to lecture me."

"I don't like it any more than you, Master, but obviously left to your own devices…"

"Well, this is horrifying," Obi-Wan said with mock indignation. "We must remember our places. _I_ lecture; _you_ let it go in one ear and out the other. Let's try this again…"

"I am not amused, Obi-Wan."

"Welcome to my world of the last thirteen years with you, Anakin," he grinned mischievously. "Maddening, isn't it?"

Anakin stared at him with sharp disapproval. "You know, I think I prefer the old Obi-Wan, completely devoid of a sense of humor."

Obi-Wan allowed himself one last chortle before returning to their primary topic.

"Anakin, I neither bear guilt or pity for myself. I do, however, feel I can use a bit more introspection."

Gruff with exasperation, Anakin leaned back against the railing. "You let me know when you've reached the memory of your twentieth year."

"What you and, now I, have done has shaken the Jedi Order and laid the foundation of a new one. My decision, as you call it, must be a responsible one. You're just become a father, Anakin. Do you not think the immediate future deserves more than a second's deliberation?"

Anakin squeezed his eyes shut. "By the Force—_bar none_! You worry more than any other being in the galaxy!"

Obi-Wan ignored that and continued. "We have a responsibility to them."

"Obi-Wan, if you are concerned with your capabilities or lack thereof, then perhaps you should hand over your lightsaber right now and be done with the obligation you have of _trying to please everyone in every blasted moment."_

"Anakin, this is more than a personal test for me. This is about preserving the principles of the Jedi way of life!"

He heaved a deep breath. "They were actually arguing amongst themselves in there."

"If Yoda has disseminated his acceptance of the changes, why can't you?"

_Touché_, Obi-Wan thought. He knew Anakin was right to be frustrated with him. He couldn't understand his ambivalence himself.

His voice was low when he answered, "I…I don't want my actions to cause them harm. The Council…the Jedi. One slip, Anakin, and I was nearly lost. Amending the rules to accommodate our personal relationships…it could leave us all open to much more severe attacks than those we have suffered at the hands of the Sith."

Anakin leaned closer to whisper with unparalleled conviction. "The Jedi Order…_our family_, Obi-Wan, has stood victorious for generation upon generation against every form of violence and dissention any group has ever been made to suffer. That kind of strength does not revolve around a set of laws to preferred behavior but the resilience of our inherent characters.

Our very existence was bred by something greater than organizational dictates of social mores. It cannot be said enough; We are of the Force. We do what is right as is demanded of us, and we do not fail. As long was we remember that, we will be more than prepared to face any challenge. No one is in total control always. Just…_listen_, else your overworked brain will make you deaf."

Anakin watched his mentor ponder his words and struck the final chord. "Do you want to marry Siri and have children with her?"

The response was quick and inarguable. "More than anything."

"_There_ is your preservation of the Order." Anakin stepped back and waited. "Go fulfill your task of banishing Ventress to the mercy of the prison matrons, and begin your life."

Obi-Wan's mouth quirked at the corners. "You are going to make a tremendously good father, Anakin."

"I trust we will not need to have this conversation again?"

Obi-Wan raised his hands up in defeat. "No! No, we will not."

"Good."

It was then, in what Obi-Wan Kenobi considered a profound moment in his life, that they were seized by hovercams of the HoloNet elite.

"Commander Skywalker!"

"Where is your wife?"

"How is the baby, Commander?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan ducked away but we're nearly surrounded. Suddenly, the calls of the harassing reporters were muffled. They stood and saw the cams futilely hitting the space beyond the railings, no longer able to get closer. The red flashes of light were bursting against an invisible wall.

"Force shield," they heard someone say.

They turned to the concourse to find Knight Corcorran standing with his palm up and flat toward them.

Anakin straightened the lapels of his tunic. "Thank you, Liam."

"My pleasure, Master."

Obi-Wan ushered Anakin off the veranda and out of view.

"It appears the stock in your popularity has reached new heights," Obi-Wan replied.

"How did they get up there?"

Liam finished speaking into the COMM link on his wrist and stood beside them. "We had to bring the shield down to allow the Solicitor Generals in, Masters. It should be up again now."

"How long has HoloNet been in vicinity?"

"They have been trying to charge the gates since last night," Liam informed them. "Gate Master Juorokk is exhausted."

Alarm heated Anakin's eyes. "Padmé…"

"Worry not, Master," Liam replied kindly. "Masters Drallig and Suong drew the panel up over the window and are guarding your family…along with the younglings."

Obi-Wan smiled. "The younglings are there?"

Liam's expression of tranquility did not change. "The younglings were…curious about the new Jedi, Masters. Master Drallig thought it best to assuage them."

Anakin looked sheepish. "Is my wife all right with that?"

"Mistress Skywalker sleeps deeply, Master," Liam told him. "They are, however, quite the picture. The alert was sounded, and they ignited their lightsabers, ready to defend. Master Drallig was most pleased."

"I better get back up there," Anakin said, already walking to the lift.

Obi-Wan followed. "I'll come with you. I told Siri I would take her to visit with Padmé and the babies."

The lift opened, and they stepped inside. Anakin held the door.

"Liam, aren't you coming?"

Taken aback by the question, it took a moment before he said yes.

The doors shut behind him, and Anakin turned to Obi-Wan.

"Are you going to tell Siri of your new post?"

"Must I?"

"You do not have to, certainly," Anakin nodded. "But once she feels you and realizes that you have kept it from her, well…I would not envy you her reaction."

"You're just filled with astute assumptions today, aren't you?"

"Tell her, Obi-Wan, and get it over with."

"I am not afraid of her, Anakin," he uttered impatiently.

Liam leaned his head back against the wall and thought for a moment.

"Wasn't it Master Tachi that clobbered the Federation starship of droids over Sullust?" he asked.

"All alone," Anakin added with pride.

"They have included that mission into the curriculum of pilot-fighting and Form IV thought classes," Liam noted.

"That's…wonderful," Obi-Wan whispered sardonically.

"Tell her."

"I will, for stars' sake…"

"Call if you require aid, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan's narrow gaze of warning made Liam wish he had not chosen now to share wit.

Anakin grinned at the exchange. The doors slid open, and Anakin pulled Liam out with him.

"I will let Padmé know of your impending arrival."

"I cannot stay long, Anakin. There is that other…thing I have to take care of."

"We'll keep her in line, Obi-Wan. You just bring her."

They bowed to each other and broke into opposite directions.

♥

Siri stopped plucking at the blanket covering her when she sensed Obi-Wan approaching closer. There was something troubling him, she knew. It had not required too much Force-sensitivity to detect it as it emanated from him in waves.

She had spent the time he had met with the Council meditating. Her nervousness would not dissipate. Obi-Wan loved her; she was never more certain of that. Yet she understood as well as he the power of loyalty to the group that had raised them. They did not want to lose Obi-Wan any more than he wished to leave them.

She remembered the look on his face when he saw her yesterday on the cliff. He had wept for her, had been so distraught that he would have slain Asajj had Yoda not revived her and brought her up from the abyss. At the time, Siri had no other thought than to return for him.

Obi-Wan was no heartless murderer. No one would have feared and felt more revulsion from killing Ventress than he would have, even if the remorse would have come too late. The ramifications of his dark turn would have been astronomical, but they also would not have lasted long. She had to believe that. The deep and true glory of her love's soul would have pulled him up the downward spiral, especially with Anakin there to lend him a hand and the light.

The Council must have addressed the near calamity of his impetuous strikes. She had every expectation they would, but she knew that while they were disappointed with him in the account, they would not rush to banish him from fear. She, of course, would not be invited to speak in his behalf. She was not hurt by it. She was no longer a member of the Order and more directly, it was Obi-Wan's strong connection to her that had prompted his error.

Obi-Wan walked into the room. He smiled for her, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hi," she greeted huskily, her throat still raw from Korriban.

"Hello."

He startled at the strength she used to pull him to her. She kissed him, and he fell into it, catching himself with his hands on the mattress at either side of her head.

He had mentally blocked her upon his entry, and Siri was not about to let him cement it. She tore her lips away from his and gently touched his cheek.

"Not to complain," he replied, out of breath. "But what was that?"

She kept her tone light. "My reward. I obeyed you. I haven't moved from this spot since you left."

He shifted, uncomfortable, and stepped back from the bed, looking away from her. His unease made her steel herself. She was suddenly sucked back to that moment of despondency twenty years ago. She unintentionally used the tone to query she had incorporated then.

"What did they say to you?"

Obi-Wan frowned with the sense of déjà vu.

He shrugged his shoulders and told her, "They are concerned, naturally. We knew they would be. They believe my attachment to you is dangerous."

She wet her lips. "Did you tell them our plan?"

He paced beside the bed, staring at the floor and stroking his chin. She knew his habit of doing so when his thoughts plagued him. It made her heart sink before his words could.

"I did not tell them about wanting to marry you."

Siri cleared her tightening throat. "I see."

He was muttering to himself and did not hear her. "Who knows where they would have sent me if I had…"

"Obi-Wan?"

"I suppose it could be worse…"

"Obi-Wan."

"Don't think of her, Kenobi," he hissed aloud. "Get her right out of your head."

"_Obi-Wan_!"

He snapped out of his reverie.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

Siri silently counted to five before she answered. "You're talking to yourself, and your pacing is making me seasick."

"Forgive me," he whispered. "I'm preoccupied."

He returned to her bedside. "Council has given me an assignment."

He glanced up at the digital panel display and groaned.

"As a matter of fact, I may only have time to take you down the hall to Anakin before I have to go downstairs." He smiled. "I'll get the hoverchair."

"Obi-Wan, wait." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "They gave you an assignment?"

"Yes, and if I am going to rectify our position, I need to be at my best."

"'Our position'?"

He waved it aside. "Come, sweetheart. I'll take you to the children."

"'Sweetheart'?"

Obi-Wan saw the befuddled expression on her face and asked, "Are you doing an impersonation of me?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

Siri grit her teeth and studied him. Her gaze narrowed as he shifted nervously under her scrutiny.

"Obi-Wan, what are you not telling me?"

It was ridiculous that he should hesitate in telling her about what he must do. It involved her, and it would secure the Order's blessing for their future.

He hoped.

"I've been assigned Ventress, Siri," he said in a rush.

Her brow furrowed. "Asajj?"

"They want me to be her Jedi escort as she is taken to prison, and I am to play her guard once she is settled." He stepped closer to her. "We leave once her interrogation with the Senate's detectives is finished."

Her comprehension was immediate. "They are testing you."

"Essentially."

"And that is what is worrying you?"

He patted her hand. "I'm not worried."

"Don't lie to me."

He gave up and sat next to her hip. "I can handle Ventress, love. Truly."

"Then it was the Council's disapproval of our relationship that bothers you."

Obi-Wan picked up her hand and held in both of his. "I have to focus on my task, Siri. Not on the feelings of others."

"I know. That includes me."

"Yes."

"May I give you some advice?"

"Of course."

"Do not underestimate her or her desperation. She hates us, Obi-Wan. She no longer wields any semblance of Light. Keep that in mind because she will try to manipulate you."

"All right."

"Don't listen to her words, concentrate on her feelings. She is not as strong as she was, but she can still use her mind."

"Okay."

Siri sat back and looked away from him. "You should probably go now."

"I will take you to Anakin and Padmé."

She tried to smile. "That's all right. I can get there…"

He eyed her severely. "You will not walk there."

"Obi-Wan, it's just down the hall."

"I'll call Bant."

"Oh, very well. I'll take the hoverchair. Satisfied?"

"No, I'd like to go with you, but this will not take long." He stood up. "The evidence against Moore and Ventress is compelling and without question. Their trials will happen sooner rather than later, and I can return here. We will make our plans then."

"You let me think about that."

"Sweetheart, it may very well be out of our hands. You saw the Jedi with the birth of the Skywalkers. Can you imagine the fanfare behind a Jedi wedding?"

"We're having a wedding?" Her eyes brightened again.

"Well, yes! That is point to this exercise. After I have performed this task perfectly and beyond their expectations, they will not deny us a proper union. They can't."

"Oh."

Obi-Wan looked at her knowingly and told her, "This isn't twenty years ago, Siri. We have nothing to be ashamed of, and we will be together. We'll just have to get everyone adjusted to the idea. That's all."

"You read my mind earlier, didn't you?"

"You broadcast louder than anyone I have ever known."

"Get used to it. You'll be hearing the shrillness of it for the rest of your life, Kenobi."

"I'll look forward to it." He kissed her briefly and stepped over to the door. "And continue your patience with Anakin. It appears he has found his true calling in fatherhood."

♥

The flash of light was intense enough to make Siri gasp, cover her eyes and bring her hoverchair to an abrupt halt inside Padmé's chamber.

"Welcome, Siri!"

She blinked furiously trying to readjust her vision. "Anakin?"

Padmé groaned, "Ani, stop it. You're blinding us."

The new mother turned her head to look at their friend apologetically. "Sorry, Siri. The Chancellor couriered a HoloCam to us a gift. He's been taking pictures since it arrived."

Always enthralled by new gadgets at his disposal, Anakin snapped another image of his babies.

He pivoted to take another of Siri, and the instrument was suddenly yanked from his hands and sailing through the air into Siri's possession.

"Thank you!" Padmé exhaled exaggeratedly.

Anakin frowned. "Hey! I need that."

"You may have it back once you've regained control of yourself, Anakin."

Siri got to her feet, carefully. The injury at her side only pulled a little, but the twinge of discomfort was enough to make her grimace.

Anakin watched his friend brace herself against the bed. Filled with sympathy and tenderness, he inquired, "Do you need help, sweetheart?"

She managed to steady herself and smiled. "I'm fine. Thanks, Anakin. The exercise will do me good."

She leaned over to kiss both of Padmé's cheeks. "Congratulations, Senator."

"Thank you."

The women shared mutual looks of deep affection, and Siri stroked Padmé's hair. "You look wonderful."

"So do you."

Siri rolled her eyes with self-deprecation. "I look ghastly, and now _your_ _husband_ has evidence of it for all time."

Anakin stepped over to join them. "You look a thousand times better than you did yesterday, Siri."

"On that, I'll agree with you."

Padmé grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I am glad you're all right."

"I couldn't miss the birth of the next generation of Jedi Skywalkers, could I?"

She spied the bassinets on the other side of the bed and grinned, glowing with anticipation.

"Anakin, would you help me over there?"

"Certainly."

He came around on her right side, supporting her back with his flesh hand and offering the gloved, mechanical one for a sturdy base for her to grip. Their movements were slow, but it was worth every tug of her stitches to see the children up close.

Nothing in her life had prepared her for the magnitude of wonder that filled her as she looked on the twins. Anakin and Padme's babies were beautiful, and dare she think it? Luke and Leia were perfect miniature replicas of each of them. Already, they were in accord, each content to gurgle and coo into the air.

Luke snorted and made Siri chuckle.

"They're perfect," she breathed quietly. "They will make you very proud."

She faced her friends again with tears in her eyes. "I am so happy for you!"

Anakin frowned. "Don't cry. You'll dehydrate again."

She wiped her eyes briskly with the back of her hand. "I know. I am just…overwhelmed. I truly envy you both."

Padmé beamed, "From what Anakin tells me, we can expect the same for you and Obi-Wan one day."

Siri laughed at that. "Let's get us wed first, hmm?"

She turned back to the children. "Do you have everything you need, Padmé? I can COMM Captain Typho and Moteé if you would like."

"Don't tempt her," Anakin said quickly. "Moteé delivered her necessities earlier this morning."

Padmé ignored him and finished braiding her hair. "No thank you, Siri. My physicians and Bant said that we may be ready to return home as early as tomorrow."

Anakin nodded, a flicker of awareness in his eyes. "I am going to have to reset the nursery. We may have to rearrange a bit for a larger space, angel."

"We don't have anything prepared for Leia," Padmé explained.

Siri adjusted the blanket over Leia's restless limbs.

"Yes, you do," she said aloud.

"No. We didn't know we were having twins."

Siri turned around to smile smugly, "I did."

Padmé glanced at her husband then back at Siri. "You did?"

Anakin gaped at Siri with disbelief. "You looked!"

Blasé, Siri shrugged. "Of course I did."

Anakin glared at her derisively. "We promised we wouldn't use our powers…"

"_You_ promised her, Skywalker," she reminded him, winking at Padmé. "I made no such declaration."

Padmé issued her trademark radiant smile and replied, "But we're gong to need double of everything now. I…_we_…only shopped and furnished for Luke."

"It's fortunate then that I have Han hauling another crib, hovercarriage, and Leia's own tiny trousseau trunk over to 500 Republica as we speak."

The Skywalkers stared at her.

"Siri…thank you so much."

"You're welcome, love."

"Define 'tiny' and 'trunk'."

"Anakin…"

"The clothes are nothing as grand as you'd expect," Siri humbly replied. "They are just pieces I picked up in my travels these last months."

Siri's eyes lit with pleasure as she described, "There are a couple of really lovely dresses I saw at a bazaar on Bespin in the Noid System. Oh, Padmé! One's pink and one is gray. They're made from the most delicate gauze you'll ever feel in your life…"

Anakin groaned to let them know the subject was going to bore him.

Padmé took pity on him and told Siri with gentle sincerity, "I'm sure they are lovely."

She stretched her arms out, and Siri returned her embrace. "Thank you so much, Siri."

Anakin took her hand and twirled her slowly away from Padmé and into his arms. "Yes, thank you."

He kissed her forehead and stepped away to chide, "I still cannot believe you looked…"

"Let it go, Anakin."

Leia's existence was not all Siri had seen, but she was kind enough not to mention it. Her foresight to Anakin's offspring had been what had driven her to confront him about Palpatine. Knowing that he would father not one but two Force-sensitive children at once had made her desperate to do whatever she could to see that her friend would be around to help the woman he loved raise them.

Siri placed one hand on Luke and one on Leia.

The glimpses of their futures came too rapidly for her to discern with any certainty, but the overall senses of strength, ambition, and incredible success were prevalent. These two would be very powerful Jedi, possibly more powerful than their sire. She would not look for any thing more. As she was certain their parents did, she would also like to watch them grow and mature into their talents without any preconceptions that could possibly skew their paths.

The Force was undeniably, staunchly, and without peer dedicated to this family. Luke and Leia would have children of their own one day and their bonds of blood would continue through another millennia.

Anakin leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I can feel you, you know. Stop reaching."

Siri looked at him warmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You and Padmé are incredibly blessed, Anakin."

"I know," he replied and looked down at his babies. "Thank you."


	29. Calm Before

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

The conclusion draws near…

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Calm Before

Siri was thoughtful.

"You know…" she began, eyeing Anakin's cramped position in the chair. "I don't think I've ever known Anakin to get any sleep."

Padmé looked at her husband resting peacefully in the short chair between the bassinets. His large frame seemed to overwhelm the narrow seat. His long legs stretched out to the floor and crossed at his ankles. His arms were awkwardly folded against his chest, but the handsome features of his beloved face indicated that he was comfortable and content.

Padmé sighed dreamily. "I don't imagine you have been in situations with him where sleep was an option."

Siri reflected on their many adventures together and snorted her agreement. "Come to think of it…no. We take it when we can get it."

"Truth be told, Anakin has never slept much and when he does, it's usually…"

Knowing what Padmé was thinking, Siri shook her head and squeezed her hand. "That is over now, Padmé."

"You really believe that?"

"The only reason for Anakin to lose any sleep now will be those babies."

"I am not sure I will ever stop worrying about him."

"You won't. You love him, Padmé. The worrying comes with it, but…"

Siri looked back at Anakin, her expression soft. This morning with him and his family was the first time she had ever seen Anakin at peace, and the reality of it was glorious relief. This wonderful young man had not experienced anything resembling a normal life, even that of a Jedi, but that was changing. He could live freely with his wife without threat of condemnation, and together they would raise happy, healthy, and gifted children.

Siri sighed. "Stars know no two people have earned the right to joy more than you and Anakin, Padmé."

"How can I agree with that without sounding arrogant?" she teased.

Siri grinned. "Have the two of you given any thought to what you'll do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know the Council wants Anakin to remain with the Order, but what about you? What do you want to do?"

"The Queen hasn't asked me to step down from the Senate. I am on leave for now but once the trials of the Separatists begin, I am certain I will be recalled."

"And after the trials?"

"I have not thought that far ahead."

"Padmé…"

"Siri, I have dedicated my whole life to public service. I do not know what I would do if I were not representing Naboo in some capacity."

"Do you remember the conversation we had the day after I resigned my commission from the Jedi Order?"

Padmé paused. "Yes."

"You told me that you had been thinking about your sister and her family and how much you love Sola, what she has done with your nieces."

"Is there nothing your memory tosses aside?"

"No," Siri wickedly answered. "Look…All I am saying is you have your own family now, Padmé, and your future is wide-open. I know you love what you do in the Senate. The Jedi carries an appreciation for you, but you no longer require a cover. You don't have to live incognito any more."

"Siri, all I am concentrating on right now is mothering my children and looking forward to finally being able to spend time with my husband. Everything else is secondary."

"That is certainly fair."

When she said nothing more, curiosity and familiarity prompted Padmé to ask, "You, naturally, have an opinion. What are you thinking I should do?"

"Well, I thought you could start with your idea of spear-heading the Diplomatic Youth Corps. With your experience and credentials, you are more than qualified for the job. It is challenging and the subjects are something you have passion for…"

"My passion is Anakin."

Siri indicated the twins with her hands. "Obviously…"

"Siri!" she chided, laughing. "You know what I meant."

"Padmé, you have the opportunity now to have everything you have always wanted. You could have the best of both worlds—your family and the career you truly want. Luke and Leia will have the benefit of their father's experience. They should have the benefit of their mother's, too."

Padmé eyed her with mock skepticism. "You believe I should invite politics into a house with three Jedi in residence?"

"If for no other reason than that you are sorely outnumbered."

Padmé laughed again, and Siri continued, "If the last decade has shown me anything useful for that which I previously scorned, it is that policy is important. It should be authored and implemented by people who have a genuine concern for the welfare of all. People like you, Padmé. Future generations could learn a lot from you and Mon Mothma and Bail. You have a tremendous amount of experience in diplomacy and brilliant thought. They're coupled with your unequalled fairness. There should be more for the archives than the devastation left in…Palpatine's wake."

"Are you implying I leave a legacy?"

"You do not already know you have one?"

"You mean as the wife of the Chosen One."

Siri gazed at her, bewildered. "No. I mean the legacy you have made for the people of Naboo and the rest of the Republic. I mean your very existence, everything that you have done in the name of liberty and humanity. Do not belittle your own accomplishments, Padmé. You do yourself a great injustice. There has always been and forever will be more to you than being Anakin's wife and mother of his children."

"But I think that I can live with that and only that for a while, Siri." Padmé watched her husband stretch and mutter in his sleep.

She turned back to Siri. "And what of you?"

"What about me?"

"Siri…" Padmé sighed.

"What?"

"You and Obi-Wan. After all that has happened, haven't you given any thought to discussing with the Council your possible return to the Order?"

When Siri didn't answer, Padmé went on. "Your reasons for leaving no longer apply."

"Padmé, the topic of my marrying Obi-Wan has not been raised to Council. They may still disapprove."

"And if they do?"

Siri shrugged. "I suppose that is up to Obi-Wan."

They fell silent. Padmé thought about all she learned about her friend over the last few days. It was as if she could actually feel Siri erect a barrier between them.

"I am not the only one here who does not have to hide her feelings anymore, Siri," she said quietly. "You also have everything you have always wanted within your reach."

Siri's jaw hardened, but Padmé persisted. "Obi-Wan does love you, Siri. He wants his life to be with you. The Jedi…They will accept that. You must know that."

"Padmé…The Order has been stretched terribly thin these last few years. They would not want to lose Obi-Wan for a variety of reasons but…anticipating them to make special allowances…"

"You are afraid."

Siri reluctantly nodded, ashamed of it. "He came to see me before he left, and he said all the right things. But…"

"You're not certain he means it."

"Yes, I am," she replied quickly, looking her in the eyes. "I know he means it. I'm just not sure he can live it. You understand?"

"Anakin believes that Obi-Wan is insistent on marrying you. That would come with or without their blessing."

"I want their blessing, Padmé. He wants their blessing. More than that, we _need_ it. They're the only family we have ever known."

"What about all the things you have said to Anakin, Siri?" Padmé gently prodded. "Why do think your words only apply to us? How can you have such faith in us but none for yourself and Obi-Wan?"

Dejected, Siri whispered, "History."

"Siri, the Council knows how much you love them, how much you respect them. Whether they embrace it or not, they are aware of it. You should trust them to make a decision that benefits all of you."

"I know...Much has happened in the last couple of days for Obi-Wan and I." She wet her suddenly parched lips. "It would be easy to believe it all a dream."

Padmé scoffed. "You need only look in the reflecting glass to know that your experiences were very real."

The memory of Obi-Wan arcing his lightsaber over Asajj came back to her as well as Anakin's horrified expression.

Siri shivered.

"I was actually referring to something other than my misbegotten clash with Asajj," Siri told her.

Bewildered, Padmé asked, "Then, what?"

Siri thought of the way Obi-Wan had touched her aboard their ship and promptly squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to clear it.

She hedged, "I can't tell you right now."

Her feminine curiosity piqued, Padmé leaned in to whisper, "Anakin's asleep."

"I will tell you about it another time."

"Siri, what is it?"

Padmé was looking at her with such avid curiosity; Siri could not help but smile.

Though they had firmly established a friendship they each cherished and had done so years ago, it remained a foreign concept to Siri to be so frank about her feelings for Obi-Wan with anyone other than him. She understood that it would get easier with time. She looked forward to that new aspect of her relationship with Padmé, but for now she would have to be practical.

"I can't you tell you now," Siri gently told her. "I have to consider Obi-Wan's mission. He may sense me, and…"

"All right," Padmé conceded. "Anakin did not tell me exactly what Obi-Wan has been asked to do."

"Let's just say he is…righting a wrong. So to speak."

"Well you are nothing if not cryptic."

"I'm getting better about it though; admit it."

"True." Padmé surreptitiously checked on her sleeping children.

Unsure of herself, she whispered. "Siri?"

"Hmm?"

"Anakin told me last night during your surgery what happened on Korriban."

She turned back to Siri. "What were you thinking when…?"

Siri raised her head with recognition and sighed her remorse. "Anakin saw it."

"He had visions of it. He battled against himself for hours before taking the issue to Yoda."

"I'm sorry. I did not realize that I…I don't know."

"My husband has always been intuitive when it comes to the people he cares for, Siri. You know that. It is the most vivid reason why I love him so much," Padmé explained. "He would not say it at the time, but…I think he saw you die, Siri."

"Yet I did not."

"But you may have had Anakin and Yoda not arrived."

Siri said nothing and kept her gaze away from Padmé.

Brow furrowed and with a quizzical flint of astonishment in her voice, Padmé murmured, "You went prepared for it. Did you go to Korriban believing you were going to die there?"

"Are you certain you are not a Jedi?"

"Siri."

She groaned. "Padmé, a Jedi goes into every battle prepared to die."

"Don't give me the Code response, Siri. I know you have dreams that are as premonitory as Anakin's. When you fought Ventress, did you…did you _give way_ for her to kill you?"

"Of course not," she protested, appalled.

Siri checked her tone, keeping Anakin and the children in mind. "I…I did not know that Obi-Wan could feel me or was coming to get me. The only thing I could concentrate on at the time was…keeping Asajj occupied, wear her. We were beating each other senseless. The only reason I tumbled over the side was from blood loss. I certainly never planned on lurching to my death."

Padmé studied her with skepticism. "You knew exactly where to find her, Siri. You were waiting for her, not the other way around."

"Much to her disappointment."

"I know that she hurt you worse than you'd estimated," Padmé breathed with patience. "Otherwise…I do not believe you would have put yourself in a situation that would have…"

The two women had spent much time together over the years. They had few things in common other than their ambition, their integrity and intelligence. But the one indisputable thing they shared was the loneliness that derived from loving the men they did and being unable to do a solitary thing about it. The bond between them had developed quickly, and it was dear.

For Padmé, it explained how she came to so quick and ruthless a realization.

"Siri, did you knowingly step into her trap to murder you?"

Squirming from the inquiry, Siri went for levity. "Anakin and Obi-Wan have a policy on traps. I put it into practice and…sprang the trap."

Far from amused, Padmé was dismayed. "It is not funny, Siri. _What_ were you doing?"

Siri reluctantly told her the truth. "I misunderstood direction, all right? I thought…The Republic was still threatened and…so was Obi-Wan. I heard…whispers, Padmé. I went to fulfill what I thought was my destiny."

Her answer clearly did nothing to illuminate matters for Padmé. In fact, her friend appeared even more stricken.

"You could not feel Obi-Wan?"

"Korriban…it is the grave of the Sith and also its base. It is surrounded by the Dark Side of the Force, but I…I would not feel Obi-Wan," Siri clarified. "I had one thing to do and that was to render Asajj useless so she could no longer hurt anyone else, including herself."

"You saw yourself in danger, and you were going to succumb to whatever came to you for…_what_? Simply getting Ventress into custody?"

"A successful end to a mission is what comes first, Padmé…"

"Is that what you are calling it? '_Successful'_?"

"She is here, is she not? Asajj has been contained."

Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo and deeply respected diplomat, was renown for maintaining a cool, analytical head in heated debate.

Padmé _Skywalker_, on the other hand, had learned how to voice her temper when the situation warranted and she believed it could drive her point home.

"I suspect Obi-Wan has an entirely different review."

Siri had no defense for herself on this one. Her contrition was poignant.

"Padmé, I did not want to die," she said, deeply moved by her concern. "And I certainly did not expect Obi-Wan to react the way he did."

Padmé watched tears well in her eyes and was startled to composure.

She swallowed and asked softly, "I am not…I do not understand the ways of the Force like you do, and I do not mean to castigate you, it is just…Siri, why did you not tell Obi-Wan what awaited you on Korriban?"

"It was my responsibility," Siri answered, hoarsely. "I thought that I could…if I could just complete the mission…"

Understanding dawned on Padmé. "You wanted one more chance to bring her back to the Good Side."

"I could have been her, Padmé. I could have been Asajj Ventress."

"But you are not, and you made a very unnecessary sacrifice."

Padmé tried to soothe her and stroke her head, but Siri stiffened.

"I do not blame you for trying to help her, Siri," she said. "But confronting Ventress and leaving Obi-Wan..."

"A catastrophe, I know." She remembered again his devastation and accepted that there was nothing she could do to repair it.

Once again, they had other things to contend with right now.

Solemn, Padmé rested her head back against the pillow. "You know how much I care for the Jedi. You need only look around us to know how much gratitude I have for them, but…how much are any of you supposed to forfeit for the Order?"

Her stare was level with Siri's. "Do you believe they are so intolerant that they cannot forgive you, Siri? Everything you have done in your life is in reverence to the Force, and the Council respects that. You have given me support in my endeavors. You have advised me and comforted me, and now I will return the favor.

You need to let it go. You need to concentrate on yourself now. _When_ Obi-Wan stands before them and declares he shall marry you, then believe it so. Your attachment is unbreakable now, Siri. He requires only your consent, not theirs. You have always done what was required of you by the Council, do not assume that they will ignore that. Give them a chance to do right by you and believe in good fortune."

Siri smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

"The Jedi are changing, Siri, and it is not just about Ani and I. It is not about you and Obi-Wan. It is as much for themselves as the rest of us."

"It will be…difficult…to keep myself from shielding them, Padmé. I would never want any thing I have done or will do to potentially cause them harm. I would never want that."

"Of course you wouldn't. But in case you have not noticed, your Jedi friends are more than adequately capable to take care of themselves."

That brought the smile back to Siri's face. "Yes. Yes, they are."

She stood. "You're tired. I'm going to let you rest while you still can."

"Siri, try not to worry about Obi-Wan. Whatever it is he is doing, know that you will be his best motivation for coming back."

Siri settled herself into the hoverchair.

"I know," she said. "Please tell Anakin I will see him later."

"All right."

"Your children are beautiful, Padmé."

"So are you."

Siri smiled and manually guided the chair out of the room.

The door slid closed behind her, and Padmé turned around to find Anakin alert. His eyes were open and clear staring after Siri's exit.

Her smile faded when she saw the expression on his face.

"Ani, what is it?"

He was still staring at the door as he replied, "She senses something that I have not."

His tone was not one of suspicion but of certainty, and apprehension hardened his features.

"Have you been awake all this time?"

"No. Just long enough to know something is wrong."

"Anakin, she is worried about Obi-Wan and the Council. That is all."

Anakin looked at his wife and made a decision. He was not going to follow their friend and interrogate her. He was not going to think about it. Siri's feelings were hers. He would not rush to discern them.

He smiled for Padmé. "You are right."

"Yes, I am. Now help me up from this bed."

"What for?"

"If we're going to keep Luke and Leia on a feeding schedule, I have to wake them now."

As if they heard and understood what their mother said, they each began to wail.

"Listen to them, angel. They sing for their supper."

"That makes it convenient."

Padmé picked up Luke and cradled him against her, cooing to him.

Leia squalled her protest that her brother would be fed first. Anakin lifted her and tucked her head on his shoulder. He bounced gently on the soles of his feet, and she quieted.

"Hush now, princess."

Watching him, Padmé shook her head.

He caught her look. "What?"

"'Princess'?"

He adjusted his hold and looked down at Leia's pretty face. He cradled her tiny head in his palm and turned her to face his wife.

"Well, look at her. She's beautiful!"

He grinned and gushed again to his daughter. "Aren't you, princess?"

Padmé said with feigned severity, "Anakin Skywalker, you will not spoil our daughter."

"Stating the obvious is hardly going to spoil her," he told her austerely.

Then he returned to normal. "Besides, it is my right. She's mine."

Padmé chuckled and drew Luke closer to her breast. "I think I may have had something to do with her creation, darling."

"You are where she gets the beauty." He winked at her.

Impressed, Padmé laughed. "Ooh…that was good, Anakin."

"She has my brain."

Padmé rolled her eyes. "Then it will be up to Luke and I to keep you out of trouble."

He stroked a finger on his son's downy head. "Nope. Just you. Luke is with me, too."

"You are getting disturbingly greedy, my love."

Anakin secured his hold of Leia and leaned over Padmé's upturned face. "Feeling left out?"

Padmé kept her gaze on his as his lips teased hers. She shook her head and seductively whispered, "Not at all."

She grinned slowly as her his mouth closed in on hers.

"They may belong to you, but _you_ belong to _me_."

She kept Luke tucked securely in one arm and brought her free hand up to the back of her husband's neck.

"That makes all three of you…mine."

When she kissed him, she proved it.

†

Obi-Wan stationed himself outside the small, shuttered room that currently held Ventress. He did not feel compelled to listen to the interrogation. Ventress would disclose nothing to the Senate's committee. She would recount no details of her life with Count Dooku or Darth Sidious. She certainly would not confess to any mischief. If she said anything to them at all, it would doubtlessly be her Sith recitations of power and the alleged evil of the Jedi.

Any testimony she provided would be nothing of any reliable import. It was his feeling that this inquiry was nothing but the responsibility of following protocol and procedure. Asajj Ventress was an enemy of the state and remained a dangerous one despite the meager loss of fingers. The nerve damage she had sustained by Siri could be repaired. They must not treat her carelessly. Ventress' mind was gone and had been since the day she had sworn fealty to the Dark Side; but whatever consciousness she retained, she would use for the futile voice of her cause.

Obi-Wan wondered if Ventress' trial would be separate from that of Moore and the members of the Trade Federation. The entire process for all would be long and arduous. The list of their crimes was extensive, but the collected evidence was compelling. That each would be given the full advantage of fair trials by the bastion of democracy they had battled to topple was, in Obi-Wan's reckoning, one of the greater victories the Republic could claim.

The doors slid open, and the group inside dispersed out into the main hall of Temple. Senator Ackbar and Mon Mothma stepped out, and Obi-Wan made his presence known.

He bowed formally before them. "Good afternoon, Senator Ackbar. Milady."

The looming Mon Calamarian lowered his head. "General Kenobi."

Mon Mothma's elegant features warmed with sincerity. "It is good to see you, Master Kenobi."

"It seems the Republic owes you more than one debt of gratitude with the end of the war," Ackbar declared. "First there was your destruction of Grievous and now…you and Siri Tachi have reigned Palpatine's minions. Any remnants of secession are now in the custody of the Galactic Republic."

"I am afraid I cannot accept your accolades, General," Obi-Wan replied with humility. "Mistress Tachi is responsible for the apprehensions of Sly Moore and Ventress, and it was Master Skywalker who truly deserves the credit for the end of the war. Were it not for Anakin's bravery…"

"I think everyone can agree that, once again, the Republic owes the Jedi for our preservation," interrupted Mon Mothma.

Her austere countenance returned. She folded her hands in front of her. "We understand, Master Kenobi, that you are to be Ventress' Jedi representative."

"I am to serve as her escort, milady…as the policies between the Senate and the Jedi Council dictate, yes."

"General Kenobi, Ventress has made scathing accusations against you," Ackbar informed him. "We spoke with Masters Yoda and Windu earlier, so we had been warned of what we may hear."

When that elicited no reaction, Mon Mothma added, "The masters brought to our attention the stress you were under that may have contributed to your…emotional response on Korriban."

Obi-Wan remained silent. He saw the blinds of the window open and watched as two Jedi healers worked to hypnotize Ventress into acquiescence for the shackles being placed around her wrists and ankles by Knights. She was strapped to an upright electromagnetic table. He could see that her wounds had been properly treated by the Jedi Medical team. There was a digital recovery system attached to the arm that lacked feeling. Platinum caps had been placed over the severed knuckles of her maimed hand. When his gaze reached her face, he discovered she was staring at him.

Ventress was grinning.

Ackbar said, "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if perhaps another Master were to serve in your stead."

"Asajj Ventress is not a typical prisoner, Master Kenobi."

Mon Mothma looked at Obi-Wan's granite profile.

"Master Kenobi," she began in a genial whisper. "This shuttle must go smoothly. Her incarceration may be for some time. We—the Republic and the Jedi—cannot risk an incident that could rouse the suspicion of weary star systems."

Obi-Wan calmly turned back to face them.

"With respect, milady, the Jedi Council made the decision that I am the appropriate choice for this assignment."

He eyed the pair soberly. "That is good enough for me. It should be good enough for you."

"Master Kenobi, I only meant that we do not wish for you jeopardize your position within the Order or your reputation in the galaxy," Mon Mothma told him. "It is clear that Ventress would like nothing more than to bring down the Jedi Order, with you in particular."

"That is her witless chatter, Senator. The burden of proof _and_ Ventress is your responsibility now. My presence is but a formality."

Ackbar raised a hand to signal the Knights their ready to exit.

"I shall ride with you and the Clone Troops with Ventress in a private shuttle to the Lower Level," Ackbar said.

Obi-Wan nodded, "What about the access to weapons?"

"There will be nothing aboard the vessel that Ventress has the ability to wield given her wounds, even if she were not fettered, General."

"Do not be so sure, milord," Obi-Wan advised. "Her powers of persuasion are not to be dismissed as ineffectual."

Mon Mothma seemed to consider the intent of his words. "What do you suggest, Master Kenobi?"

He paused for a moment. "The clones, armed, should ride in a separate carriage. Ackbar, you and I will—alone—remain with Ventress."

The concession was agreed to quickly. "I will inform the Chancellor of our change in plans."

"Very good."

Knights ushered Ventress' into the hall and stopped before Obi-Wan and the Senators.

"She is ready for transport, Master."

Obi-Wan spared her a glance before saying, "Let's go."

Mon Mothma kept pace with Obi-Wan.

"She seems to be under sedation," she whispered.

Obi-Wan made no reply.

_Kenobi_…

He ignored the telepathic call.

"HoloNet has surrounded Temple," Obi-Wan told them. "We must leave from the third spire."

They arrived at the service lift, and Obi-Wan turned to the young knights. "Inform the Council of our departure and make certain the shield is only lowered once we have completely boarded."

"Yes, Master."

Ackbar, Mon Mothma, and Obi-Wan stepped into the lift after Ventress had been placed. Obi-Wan remained alongside Ventress with Ackbar and Mon behind them.

_You always save me, Kenobi._

Obi-Wan took deeply measured breaths.

_I am not saving you, Asajj. I am insuring that you will never escape again._

_They will never keep me, Kenobi. I will be free. I will be free, and you will never know when I will come back. Your precious friends will never be safe from the Dark Side. Never!_

_Be at peace. You do not have anywhere else to go, Asajj. You have no one to help you. You will always be betrayed. _

_Arrogant fool. Are you truly so naïve as to believe that the Sith are eradicated? There are more, Kenobi. There is always more…_

Obi-Wan remembered what Siri had told him about concentrating on her feelings, not her words.

_Ah…Still embarrassing yourself over Tachi, hmm? _

He quickly cleared his mind but could still hear Ventress' mocking laughter.

_You are not only a fool, Kenobi. You are weak, too. So much devotion to a faithless harlot who deceived you. With your enemies…Her death would have done you a favor. _

The lift stopped and Clones greeted them on the launch pad of their transport.

The subtle smile he gave her as she was raised onto the shuttle was thoroughly mocking.

_Still wagging your tongue beyond your means, Asajj. You are frightened and utterlydeserted. _

_You will never hold me, Kenobi._

_And you have nowhere to run, Asajj. Your pathetic attempts to raise my ire are producing nothing to sway me. Unless, of course, 'tis your intention to_ bore _me to death_.

Ventress quieted. He gripped the safety strap casually as Mon Mothma waved her goodbye from the platform, and they left Temple.


	30. Your Secrets Are Not Secret

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Thirty- Your Secrets Are Not Secret

Siri was not surprised to find Yoda waiting inside her room. They said nothing to one another as she gave up the guise of requiring the hoverchair and Force-pushed it to the nearest corner.

She met his tender gaze with a smile.

"Hello, Master."

Yoda studied her for a few moments. Her eyes were puffy but no longer as black and swollen. The cuts on her lip and brow were already naturally healing beneath the stitches. Her left arm was set into a sling tight against her. Her stance favored her right side, but that was a natural compensation for the handicap at her left.

She still bore the heavy aura of remorse.

"How fare you this day?"

No glutton for self-punishment, her steps over to him were slow.

"Much better." She awkwardly bowed. "In no small part to you."

"My responsibility you are."

She shook her head. "I take responsibility for myself, Master. I knew what I walked into."

"The assignment itself and placement of your distraction in the form of Master Kenobi, my doing."

"Yoda…" Siri sighed. "Obi-Wan has been my distraction for years, near or far, and without your…mechanizations. And, at times, in spite of them. As you well know."

She watched him bow his head as he confessed, "Ulterior motive, I had, for sending him with you."

Siri side-glanced him and fought her smile. "I figured that out somewhere between Eriadu and Korriban."

She playfully tisked her tongue against her teeth. "You interfering, matchmaking little devil, you…Who would ever believe _you_ so ineptly calculating?"

When his regal posture became even straighter, Siri could not contain her grin.

"Find my mistake humorous, do you?"

She brought her good arm up over her head in a tentative stretch. Her stitches did not pull, and that was a good sign.

"You make no mistakes, Master," she said flatly. "Hindsight is irrelevant here."

She touched her fingertips to his wrinkled head. "And you meant well. I know that."

His lips pursed. "In good spirits you are for someone pummeled you were."

"I have had the best care in the galaxy, Master. You, Bant and the Council have been exceptionally generous."

She walked over to the closet. "Asajj is captured. Anakin is a father. My friend has her husband and children. Obi-Wan wants me as his wife…"

She looked inside to find the closet empty. "Where are my clothes?"

"Being washed and mended they are. Where do you think you go?"

Siri dreaded another scolding, no matter how much she deserved it.

"I cannot remain here, Master."

"Why not?"

He watched her so keenly awaiting her response, she knew he felt everything she did. It was impossible to keep anything hidden from him and considering where they were, it was entirely possible more Jedi felt the disturbance.

She crouched as much as her pained body allowed to be level with him. "Yoda, I know what certain members of the Council think of me. I am blamed for what happened to Obi-Wan yesterday."

His serenity was admirable and much appreciated. "No more liable for his actions than I. Accuse you Master Kenobi does not. Neither shall anyone else."

"Master…The changes that the Order is facing are coming too swift for some. Me?" She shrugged with acceptance. "I embrace them simply because they serve my purpose. Turns out, I am not so noble."

"Earned the right to peace we all have," Yoda reminded her. "How tranquility acquired, judge we cannot."

He pointed his gimer stick at her. "Worry for naught, you do."

Siri's breath hissed out between her teeth as she stood. "You mean to support whatever decision Obi-Wan makes?"

"Respect his judgment, I do."

"Even after what happened yesterday?" Her skepticism was thick. "Even with knowing what you do now about the two of us?"

Yoda paused. "For his…impassioned counteraction to Asajj's attack on you yesterday, he repents. To the other, rebuke you now, I cannot. Not any longer."

Siri was quiet for a moment, digesting that.

"I…I felt him while Council was in session. I…heard what Masters Mundi and Allie had to say."

"Concentrate, you do, on the negative."

"I prefer to call it learning from instruction, Master."

Now, Yoda did look affronted. "Think you deliberately set you up for heartbreak I did?"

"What? No!"

"Presume, do not, to know what your peers feel."

"They are not my peers anymore. Is that not part of the problem?"

"Understand, Masters Mundi and Allie will with time. As we all."

Siri sighed and rested her hip against the bed. "I am not ungrateful, Yoda. But I do not want to impose or give them any reason to believe I will take advantage of them."

"On me, you are no imposition. With you, there is no conflict. For you…and Master Kenobi, stay. Not ready you are to leave Temple."

She looked back at him. "You, truly, sent Obi-Wan with me _for_ me?"

He did not blink. "For you both."

She clenched her quivering jaw and nodded. "Thank you."

Yoda rested his hands comfortably atop his gimer stick. "Hear from you, the Council will of your experiences with Ventress."

"I do not think I can add any more to the obvious, Master."

"What the Force said to you, we know not."

"I could not understand much of it once we arrived on Korriban."

"Plenty of time to reflect on it before present it to Council you will."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes."

She nodded her acquiescence. Then, "What of Asajj? Has her transport departed?"

"Know it has, you do," he told her, walking to the door.

She watched his slow retreat, but her voice turned softly hard. "Obi-Wan's participation has nothing to do with testing his resolve to the Light."

Yoda stopped but did not face her. "No."

Siri took a deep breath and tried to relax. "He is bait. Isn't he?"

She gnashed her teeth when the diminutive warrior held his silence. "Yoda, Kenobi deserves to be warned."

He sighed. "Fought hard you have to reign your patience. And long. A few more hours will harm you not."

"This isn't about me," she nearly spat. "You can hardly expect my concerns to evaporate so abruptly, particularly now. It may be a gradual process, and I haven't finished this yet."

"So is courage when faced with your fears, Siri."

"I am not afraid," she lied.

He turned his head and eyed wearily. "Then angry, you are."

She closed her eyes. "I don't know what I am."

"Always so stubborn…Trust my judgment, you should. As you should trust in Obi-Wan to remain honorable in his intent to wed you. Guide him, his heart does. To you, it leads."

"It is not Obi-Wan's intent I question, Master."

"No more objection to you the Council will decree. Do what I can, I shall."

"I will stand for myself. I cannot expect you to do so. Besides, it will not be the first time I have been dressed-down before Council."

Yoda's small shoulders shrugged. "Running down, your ready time is."

The door slid open.

"See you in chambers, I will."

The door closed behind him, and Siri sat down on the edge of the bed with a groan of frustration. A zing of pain shot up her side and reminded her that she was truly in no position to do battle. Of any kind.

"We have become the poster children for poor timing," she hissed to herself.

She stared up at the ceiling, trying to think.

Obi-Wan's face swam before her eyes and she smiled.

"Ah, my love," she sighed.

She sat up and took a deep, resigning breath. "You know me—the Force help you."

She leaned toward the bedside table and opened the drawer. Relief flowed through her when she found what she sought.

Siri strapped her COMM link onto her wrist and punched in a very special set of numbers. When the gadget beeped its receipt of transmission, she calmed a little.

"Here we go."

She rolled her eyes. "Again."

†

The Lower Level, or the Twilight Level as some referred to it, was inhabited by those infamous for their lack of ambition and eschewal of moral fiber. This level contained all the establishments of weakness and debauchery that were disdained by the residents above them. The borough was crime-ridden. A wretched collection of scum and villainy is how some viewed it, and it should have been no surprise to Obi-Wan that there were few people on the streets at so early an hour.

The attendance of HoloNet crews beyond the electrified gates of Galactic City Capital Prison was sparse. The nuisance of Coruscant's press corps could be ignored. It was the eerie quiet and dusty isolation that could not be dismissed. Windows were shuttered. Traffic was nearly non-existent. It was quiet, particularly for the Twilighters.

Too quiet.

Obi-Wan's azure gaze scanned the perimeter for any anomalies. He felt the lack of curious onlookers to be a signal for caution. He had been trained too well by his life's experiences not to recognize that if things looked too good to be true, they most certainly were. He would have been grateful for the rare anonymity under different circumstances. As is was, the absence of interest increased his unease. The closer they reached landing, the more acute his senses became. Anticipating Ventress' next move was much like a bedeviling itch between his shoulder blades he could not quite reach.

Ackbar leaned close to be heard above the din of their craft.

"HoloNet must still surround the Jedi Temple. Commander Skywalker's family has drawn more rapt attention than…de-clawing…the Sith."

Obi-Wan focused his gaze on their deceptively docile prisoner. "The incarceration of the Sith is _old news_ for the Republic."

The subtle slight to Ventress' ego went unchecked by her.

Ackbar spared Ventress a glance then said, "I expected her to be combative."

So had Obi-Wan. His reply was sardonic. "Wait for it."

He spoke too low for Ackbar to hear him, but Ventress raised her head. Her swollen eyes fixed on him.

_You have not won_, she thought.

_There was no contest but for the sake of argument…yes, I have_.

_Cruelty…becomes you, Kenobi. A great Dark Warrior you would have been… _should_ have been._

It was the sincerity she used as emphasis that took Obi-Wan aback. He looked away from her to the ground below where the warden and several guards waited for them.

_Power may still be ours._

_Eternal bondage is your fate, Asajj. I await an entirely different circumstance._

_Yes, shackled to the codes of the _Jeedi…_You believe me a lackwit. You are more delusional than you label me for entertaining the notion that the Jedi will ever permit you…happiness with Tachi. You will be an outcast, and Tachi…her allegiances vary with the wind. _

_Your jealousy of Siri is boundless, isn't it? She excelled and succeeded in every way you could not, including gaining me. Dooku wanted me at his side, then you…but, of course…Siri saw me first._

_Your ill-humor is terrifically dismal._

_I suppose I should be flattered. It _is_ nice to be wanted. Normally, I would be mortified by such attention, but…if Siri is my reward, I shall forego humility in favor of more selfish pursuits. _

_Imprisoning me will not bring you peace. Even with your limited acumen, you must sense that. You read nothing from me I care to conceal, Kenobi. There is power in vengeance. I shall have it, and I have earned it._

They stared at each other, strangely polite.

_Your…love for that rancid Order…for Skywalker…for Tachi. What has that love ever brought to you? You will never find peace and happiness—in _tandem_, Kenobi. They are utterly incompatible. One shall always be sacrificed for the other. _

There was something in her eyes that Obi-Wan glimpsed, in the measure of a blink, that he thought could be genuine sympathy.

_The Sith do not believe in love. It is insignificant against the weight of the galaxy. You must know that. We are…we are—all of us—insignificant._

Obi-Wan held his sigh.

_Perhaps. But life, liberty, and the pursuit of that happiness make those…_insignificant _things more tolerable, Asajj_.

Her gaze narrowed and she grunted audibly. _You seek the impossible._

_And you surrendered your gifts to the whims of madmen. We all have our burdens to bear._

_Kenobi. The Sith…and the_ Jeedi…_are different but alike. I am not the only one. You will never be safe. The _Jeedi _will never be safe. Your love will perish. You and I…are insignificant._

The business of not rolling his eyes, as Obi-Wan could picture Siri would, was hard won.

_Why do wish to irk me so early in our relationship? I will be your only company for the time being, Asajj. One would think you would use your common banality sparingly so as to keep me interested._

_Your pitiful watch is not satisfaction enough?_

He would not telepath his true feelings

Her gaze narrowed_. Very well. I can be fair. Besides…_

Her feral lips curled_. I never could take my eyes off you._

The shuttle began its descent as Obi-Wan staved off his nausea.

Flying, it seemed, was becoming more and more for droids.

†

Han Solo's tired eyes snapped wide-opened when the bell of his COMM link chimed. He stood straight and away from the wall he leaned on and depressed the signal to retrieve the coded message.

He remembered every word of Siri's holographic instruction from Commenor.

_"Listen, kid," Siri had told him, soberly, her expression stern. "There will come a time when I will need you to…Obi-Wan will need you, Han. He'll need you at his back when..."_

_Her head bowed. "There is a code."_

_She told him what is was and from whom it would come. _

_"When you get that message, find Obi-Wan. Follow his lead and mind his expressions. He will show you what to do."_

_"Yes, Siri," Han replied and swallowed. "Siri…are you all right?"_

_"Yeah, kid." Her smile was sure. "You're a good boy, Han. I love you."_

_The words were hardly a surprise, but Han felt his eyes sting just the same. _

_He cleared his throat. "Get to Kenobi?"_

_"Get to Kenobi."_

Returning to the present, Han boarded his small skiff and ignited the engines.

He pulled out of the Lower Level garage and toward Galactic City Capital Prison.


	31. Both Sides, Now

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Thirty-One –Both Sides, Now

_Before she had even stepped out of the lift, Siri knew she had found whom she had spent the worst part of the night seeking. She made certain her steps were casual as she breezed by her neighbors in the corridor and keyed the code to open her apartment door. _

_The hum of an ignited lightsaber ended almost as soon as it had begun once she crossed the threshold, the door whispering shut behind her. _

_"Anakin?"_

_She waved her hand and soft light illuminated the shadowy figure of her dear friend. She couldn't see his face. He still wore the hood of his robes over his head. She could only make out the tightness of his jaw, the stiff set of his broad shoulders and the way his chest moved as if he struggled to bring air in and out of his lungs. _

_She could read nothing of his thoughts. _

_"You were right," he told her, hoarsely—a tone of voice not his own. "You were right about…_everything_."_

_ There was something so…ominous in his stance, his voice, that Siri nearly shrank from him. It was as if this was a different man in her living room. A stranger._

_"Anakin," she whispered. "I…the city is abuzz with rumors. I couldn't even get near Temple or the Senate. What has happened?"_

_He kept his profile to her. "You know what has happened."_

_She stared at him for silent seconds and then asked, "Has the chancellor been arrested?"_

_"Palpatine is dead." He pumped his mechanical hand into a fist. "I killed him."_

_Siri swallowed her trepidation. "You killed him."_

_"He was a Sith lord. When I arrived in his chambers, I saw Masters Fisto, Kolar, and Tinn laying dead on the floor. Palpatine had…_murdered_ them. They…didn't even have the chance to fight."_

_Siri quietly gasped. The stoicism she had practiced most of her life nearly eluded her, and she swallowed against the emotion clogging her throat at the news of the loss of her friends. _

_"What of Master Windu?" _

_His throat visibly worked. "He…Master Windu suffered some minor injuries, but he will be all right."_

_She heard him take a deep breath. "I think."_

_"Anakin, how—?"_

_He turned his back to her and spat, "Everything you warned me about was true. I felt it. I went into that office thinking that I was going to…help. Who, I…wasn't sure, but as soon as I stepped into that office, I knew the truth."_

_He choked and continued. "Palpatine was trying to get me—_me_!—to kill Master Windu. He looked so…old, so helpless. But…I knew better. You were right. He wanted me to turn. He was using my marriage to do it, my fear."_

_She took a step toward him, but he raised is hand to stop her. "Stay back."_

_Siri frowned. Her Holopad started to buzz, and she glanced down at it to read who summoned her. _

_"Anakin, it's Padmé," she said on a sigh. She watched him. "She's probably looking for you."_

_She reached for it and he must have sensed the movement. He spun on her quickly and the color of his eyes made her gasp aloud. The normal blue of his irises were now the color of fire but wet as rain. He grasped her shoulders hard enough that she was a little frightened. _

_"Anakin," she breathed with pain. "Wha…?"_

_"Don't answer it!" he spat, his gaze beseeching. "Please?" _

_He clasped her to him and cried, "Please don't let her see me like this, Siri. Please? She can't see me like this."_

_Horrified, Siri hugged him closer until he relaxed into her embrace. An instinct foreign to her mindset took over and she tried to soothe him, rocking on her heels. Her hand gently pulled the hood from his head and stroked his hair. _

_Anakin broke into sobs so wretched, it was all she could do not to join him._

_"Shh," she cooed lovingly. "Oh, sweetheart…what did they do to you?"_

_She kissed his ear, his cheek. Her lips feathered over his brow. "It's all right. It's all right now, Anakin."_

_He breathed against her neck. "Help me. Don't let her see me this way."_

_"Okay," she nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want." _

_She stroked his cheek. "But…Ani…she is worried sick about you. We all were, and in her condition..."_

_His eyes blazed with recognition. "Don't let her know I'm here."_

_Siri frowned at the dictate. "I can't lie to her, Ani."_

_"It's a lie that can't hurt her," he told her. "Seeing me…could make her worry more."_

_He was right. Siri nodded reluctantly. "All right. Sit here on the sofa."_

_He did that, and Siri turned the device to her.  
_

_Padmé's holographic image appeared, and Anakin turned his eyes away from it._

_"Siri."_

_"Hello, Padmé."_

_"I have heard the news of Chancellor Palpatine's death. What is happening?"_

_"I'm sorry, Padmé, but I am as in the dark as you."_

_"Siri, I cannot find Anakin anywhere, and Master Kenobi is still on Utapau. Have you seen him?"_

_This singular moment was easily the one of the more wretched of Siri's life. She kept her tone light but her eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, Padmé."_

_Siri swallowed and said, "I'm sure he's fine. There would have been...I would know if he has been harmed."_

_Dejected, Padmé bowed her head. "Thank you, Siri. I apologize if I disturbed you."_

_"You didn't. I'm sorry I can't help you."_

_Typically, Padmé took a deep breath and straightened. "Please call me if you have word."_

_"I will. Goodnight, Padmé."_

_"Goodnight, Siri."_

_Siri turned off the Holopad and dropped it on the table. With a sharp exhalation of breath, she faced Anakin._

_"The Senators are under lock-down," she told him, her voice bitter now with remorse. "Several thousands of Clone Troopers have been dispersed throughout the galaxy in prison vessels to accommodate large numbers. The Jedi Council has been called to chambers, the Knights have been ordered to return to Coruscant, and I have been repeatedly notified to stay within reach. Why?"_

_She kneeled at his feet and turned his chin up with her thumb. "Look at me, Ani."_

_He met her stare, the fire in his eyes clouding. _

_"The Senate was notified of Palpatine's death hours ago. Where did you go after you killed him? What is going on now?"_

_Anakin turned his head, but she stilled him, her voice firm. "Anakin, stay with me! What do the Jedi know?" She took a deep breath and fought for patience. "Ani, I cannot help you if I do not have all the facts. Give them to me."_

_"The war is over," he answered flatly. "It's all over." _

_Then he scoffed, "And the worst is just beginning."_

_"_What_, Anakin? What's happening? "_

_"In my…method of rectifying what menace I helped create, I decided on full disclosure and while I…restored…justice to the galaxy, I confessed my true matrimonial state." There was an almost maniacal gleam in his empty stare. "I told Master Yoda of my marriage to Senator Amidala."_

_Siri closed her eyes and groaned. The action belied her relief. "Is that all?"_

_"No." His tone went deeper to say, "I went after Gunray."_

_Her eyes snapped open again, and she whispered, "Anakin…the Trade Federation. Where are they?"_

_He nodded once. "I flew to Mustafar."_

_"Mustafar. Energy miners. The volcanic planet."_

_Anakin spoke abruptly, as if he had not heard her. "When you left the Jedi Order, I was…confused. You were a Master. You were my friend, and you were the only ally I had. You left, and I…lost something. I was angry with you."_

_"Ani, I didn't…"_

_"I was angry because I had no one to shield me any more. I didn't have anyone left at Temple who understood me. So I thought. I was selfish even then. To my core, I was selfish."_

_"No. No, you weren't."_

_"Yes, I was. I made your decision—your _pain_—about _me_. You left because of Obi-Wan, didn't you?" Siri did not believe that to be a question. It was a statement. He gave her a look that let her know that was a very fresh, very new revelation of his. "You love him. You've always loved him, and you left the Order because you love him so much you could no longer deny that it was just as much part of who you are as midichloriants."_

_Surprised, Siri said nothing, only continued to stare at him. _

_He wasn't finished. "You put Obi-Wan's feelings before your own."_

_"We shouldn't talk about this now, Anakin. We need to focus on the present…"_

_"You want to know what my first thought was when I landed on Mustafar? I saw Padmé. I always see Padmé. Everywhere I go, I see Padmé."_

_Siri watched his left hand, the mechanical one, start to quake. _

_"I saw my wife," he whispered hoarsely. "In my mind, I saw my wife. And I saw myself…choking the breath from her…"_

_"Anakin?" she whispered, appalled._

_"I saw her crumble to the ground, ashes sputtering over her, and I remember…" Then his arm began to vibrate, the motor of his false limb starting to hum. "I was furious with her. The things I said to her…"_

_"Anakin, it didn't happen. Do you hear me? Padmé is fine. You did _not_ hurt her."_

_"Then I saw Obi-Wan. I brought my lightsaber against him. I meant to kill him, too."_

_"Anakin, listen to me. It was just your imagination. Do you hear me? Padmé is safe. Obi-Wan is safe. You did not do those things!"_

_"But I was going to, and I would have, Siri. I waited in Council chambers as the Masters went to arrest the Chancellor. I felt…Padmé felt me and for a few moments, I was her. I could feel her love for me, and I heard her tell me she was mine. We would be one…forever. _

_But the visions…on Mustafar, in those visions…I still put myself over her love. I put my wants, my greed, above my love for my wife. It was as if I was someone else."_

_Siri covered her face with her hands and whispered with sympathy at just how much damage Palpatine had done to her friend. "Stars…what did he do to you?"_

_"I stood outside of my ship, Artoo at my side," he pressed on. "I saw those things in my head, but then I remembered why I was really there. Suddenly, it was so clear. Palpatine's evil was…everywhere. I could see everything as it was and with the memories came the truths. The enormity of his plans, his intentions. I would have been the instrument of murder, of fear, intimidation. He would not have saved Padmé. You were right. He would have never let her live. He knew that as long as she was alive, my allegiance would have always be with her—with _us

_Then the last twelve years of my life…flashed before me like pieces of a puzzle…shards of glass. It was Palpatine who fostered the Trade Federation. It was Palpatine who commissioned the development of clones in the name of the Republic, and it was Palpatine who set in motion not only the destruction of the Jedi for the rise of the Sith but took measures to ensure Padmé's death._

_It was him all along."_

_The scorching waves of vengeance rolled off him, and Siri had to force herself to ask, "Where is Gunray now? What of the others?"_

_Anakin sighed. "I almost did it. I almost…slaughtered every single one of them."_

_The knot in her stomach began to slowly dissipate. "But you didn't."_

_He shook his head. "I thought about Tattooine. My mother. The Tuskens. It's a long story…don't ask. It was strange, but I heard Master Qui-Gon…"_

_"Qui-Gon?"_

_"Yes. I heard him, Siri. He told me that if I were to do it, kill them, it would be murder. They didn't have any defense to contain me. I knew it. It would be murder, and Palpatine would have achieved what he wanted. Even in death. He would have turned me."_

_"Anakin…you did the right thing."_

_"I know that now, Siri. I do. I put her ahead of me. I thought of Padmé. Just her. I thought of her life and…she is precious to me."_

_"I know that. I know how much you love her."_

_"I could have lost her."_

_"But you will not. You will never lose her, Anakin. You have fulfilled your destiny, and you will have a very happy, very _long,_ life with her. And your children. All will be well, my friend. I promise you."_

_Exhausted and emotionally-drained, Anakin wrapped his arms around Siri and squeezed. "I'm so... tired."_

_"I know." She patted his shoulders and leaned her head back to look him in the eyes. She was pleased to see their color returning to normal. "Stay here for the night. Rest for a few hours. I'll take you home later."_

_"I have to go to Temple," he told her. "They're looking for me, Siri."_

_"The Council has waited for years for a deposition on the Sith," she said. "A few more hours is neither here nor there."_

_He nodded in acquiescence and embraced her once more._

_"It's over, Ani," she whispered. "It's over now."_

_He sighed heavily. "Not yet, Master. I'm sorry. It's not over yet."_

_She was about to question him when she felt it. _Him_. She knew Anakin felt him too for they both turned their gazes toward the door._

_Obi-Wan stood there, staring at them, his expression bland and his thoughts unreadable. Siri slowly dropped her arms from around Anakin's neck. She felt Anakin truly relax for the first time that night and when he spoke, his tone indicated his happiness at the sight of his mentor and Master. _

_"Obi-Wan."_

_Anakin's voice must have registered because Obi-Wan turned his riveted gaze to his former padawan. There was clear and most genuine concern in his expression and he asked, "Are you all right, Anakin?"_

_"I'm fine."_

_"Anakin, the Council needs to see you for debrief. Master Windu told them everything, and Master Yoda would like to hear how you came to know of the Trade Federations location on Mustafar. He'll be returning to Temple shortly. Right now he's making certain that Gunray and the others are safely ensconced in Galactic City Prison."_

_Obi-Wan stepped closer and frowned at his friend's visage—torture and turmoil. Anakin's eyes were a strange shade and dark circles surrounded them, making his youthful face look gaunt, his pallor nearly jaundiced. _

_"You need rest." He placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Come."_

_Hesitantly, Anakin turned to Siri and she nodded. "He's right, Ani. Go wash your face in the refresher and go with Master Kenobi to Temple, please."_

_Anakin looked from Siri to Obi-Wan and then back to her as if gauging something. Then, stoically, he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Say nothing to Padmé. I will explain everything to her."_

_"As you wish."_

_Anakin kissed her cheek, warmly and with great affection. Then he turned to tell Obi-Wan, "I'll only be a moment, Master."_

_He was upstairs and out of sight before Obi-Wan finally addressed Siri. She felt herself stiffen at the uncharacteristically hard expression on his face. His voice was a near growl when he said, "I should have known it was one of your ridiculous misadventures to cause something so abysmally fatal."_

_Now, she glared, "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"You may cease with the obnoxious pretense of innocence. I know of your involvement with Palpatine. It stands to reason that you played a major role in the utter disintegration of order here. What have you done to Anakin?"_

_She winced at the mention of her possible relationship with the Chancellor, but recovered to retort, "I have done nothing and even if I had, it would hardly be any concern of yours."_

_"Understand this—I care not what you do, but how what you do affects the rest of us. Now, what have the two of you been doing?"_

_She understood his venom-filled inference. "You are being crude and absurd."_

_"And you seek to seduce a boy and a married one at that!" he hissed quietly, his face so close to hers she could see her startled expression in his eyes. _

_"Anakin is a man, and you would do well to mind your tone when you speak to me. I'm not some padawan you think to intimidate, Kenobi." _

_He stepped back, chest heaving, trying to gain control. "How long have you been waiting for him?" _

_ He turned his back to her for a moment, and she saw that his hands were trembling. Was he that angry?_

_"I could feel you out in the hall." He faced her again, his glare unreasonably irate. "How did you not feel me? Huh? Were you so attuned to each other that you missed me?"_

_Siri shook her head with frustration. "You never could understand. He needed me, Obi-Wan."_

_His jaw hardened and he said through tightly clenched teeth, "For _what_? What could you possibly do for him that I, that the _Jedi_, could not?"_

_He caught himself. A look of revulsion crossed his features before he could stop it, but she saw it anyway. "Of course, that could very well be a silly question with a patently…_transparent_ answer."_

_Tears finally sprang to her eyes and she felt defeat. "Take Anakin to Temple. Everything you need to know will be made clear to you."_

_They stood there for a moment, like caged combatants ready to spring._

_"What has _happened_ to you?" _

_She said nothing, and Obi-Wan scoffed. "Master Yoda asked me to relay that he would like conference with you in his personal chambers some time in the morning, if I saw you. And I have."_

_Anakin returned, seemingly oblivious to the animosity between his friends. He readjusted the hood of his robes over his head._

_"I am ready, Master. Let's go."_

_He bowed to Siri and walked determinedly out of the apartment, Obi-Wan wearily close on his heels._

♥

Padmé looked at her husband agog. "That's how he left it?"

Anakin shrugged. "For the moment, I suppose. I was sequestered in Master Yoda's chambers for the next two days, as you know. Whatever their rift, they've obviously mended it. I was just…too overwhelmed to put much of anything together, never mind whatever was personal to them."

"I have never heard of Obi-Wan to behave in such a fashion."

"Neither have I. If it had been a night other than that one, I would have paid attention to it. As it was, I felt the charge in the air but could not think on it clearly. All I wanted to do right then was sleep. I didn't expect Obi-Wan to go to Siri's once he came back from Utapau. I would have suspected he would come to you first. Which let me believe…"

Her eyes widened with recognition. "He wasn't looking for you at all. He'd gone to her apartment just to see her."

"Yep. I only know that for a certainty now because he told me before you went into labor. Anyway, I didn't get to finish telling her the rest because Master arrived to…I don't know…spout poetry, and my presence ruined it for him as his arrival distracted me."

Padmé turned her back to him so he could lace the back of her bodice. "But how did you get the rest of the tale to Siri without the Jedi knowing, Ani?"

She could not see his grin. "After nearly three years of cloaking a marriage, I have become a master of covert operations."

He pulled a little hard on her expandable corset and she winced. "Easy, darling. I'm not quite ready for a microscopic waistline yet. I still need to breathe."

"I'm sorry, angel. This better?"

"Yes, thank you. But seriously. How did you get Siri the information, and when?"

He grunted. "Padmé, does everything in your wardrobe have to be so difficult to dress? This thing has way too many buttons."

"In your nearly three years of cloaked marriage, you still haven't mastered my buttons?"

"Touché," he smirked and turned her around to answer her first question. "I passed a Holopad to Han in the vestibule while the Jedi addressed the Senate the other day."

"Of course! He'd be the only one without suspicion."

"Exactly." He helped her to sit so they could put on her boots. "Are you certain you're up to this, Padmé?"

"We've gone over this, Anakin. I go with you or you don't go at all."

He took a second to marvel at how dainty her feet were. "This isn't going to be easy, angel. One might say it will be a little dangerous."

"It's going to be _very_ dangerous, Anakin Skywalker, and don't even think of trying to dissuade me. You are going to need me. Barring any unforeseen need to perform acrobatics or run fiercely for parsecs, I will be fine."

He frowned and finished the task of dressing his wife. "Are you sure you're all right with leaving the children behind?"

At that, she steeled herself. "We'll never get them past HoloNet outside. We would be followed. They will be safer here than anywhere else."

"Bant and Cin will keep them with the younglings. They will be well protected, Padmé."

It was typical of him to want to reassure her, though her poor darling husband was feeling every bit the concern for them that she was. It was only natural, but something they were going to learn to endure for the rest of their lives. Such as anyone who were parents.

"I am still not fond of the idea that I need you for this at all…"

"Hush, Ani. Think of it this way, my love: we will finally be able to commence with our work—as a team—before all without concealing the fact that we _are_ a team, inseparable and uncompromising. It's just another adventure for us."

"Perhaps, but history has shown that we do not have the best of…luck, if you will, in our adventures."

"You know something? I'm not even nervous. I'm not worried at all. This is going to end well, isn't it?"

Anakin was positively vibrating his happy energy. "If I get my way then, yes. It will end well and be finally finished."

He pulled her to her feet and settled his hands on her waist. "I swear to you, when all this is over, we are going away. We are going _far_ away. I am taking my family on holiday and the Force forbid anyone who dares to stop us. I mean it this time."

"Of course you do, sweetheart." Padmé pulled the undertunic over her head, then took the sturdy linen overtunic and vest Anakin handed her. "I never knew the Jedi uniform was so…heavy."

He eyed her with mild reproof. "This from the Senator perpetually garbed in weighty velvet and brocade. Our dress is utilitarian, angel. Sturdy for battle while being necessarily airy and mobile but also warm."

A belt was efficiently loped around her waist, and she watched him hook a lightsaber to the leather.

"Ooh!" Padmé gleamed. "I get a lightsaber?"

"You're a Jedi padawan, remember? Here. Put on your robes."

Strangely giddy, she did as he said then quickly turned to eye herself in the looking glass. She was startled by her own reflection. Anakin had helped her braid and conceal her hair under her shirts, though she did wear a thin long braid just behind her right ear—the symbol of status as a padawan learner of the Jedi Order. The outfit completed, she looked every inch of…

"Wow," she breathed. "I really do look like a Jedi."

Anakin stood behind her, staring at her reflection as well.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, you do. We may have to hold on to these. You know…for future…adventures."

She grinned at him knowingly. "Impress you, does it?"

"It absolutely thrills me." He winked at her. "And I'll show you some time, but right now we must go."

He took her hand and led her to the door. He looked down at her one more time. "You ready?"

Padmé pulled the hood of the robes over her head and only shadows of her features were visible. "I see myself as essential."

Anakin peeked out the door then whispered to her, "Good. That's how _I've _always seen you."

He confirmed that the halls were clear for their exit. "Let's go."

♥

_When her heart rate stabilized and she was breathing normally, Siri turned her head to look on her love…who was staring at her intently and with complete adoration._

_"You love me," she whispered, no longer with incredulity. _

_He nodded, slowly and silently. _

_She smiled, and he touched her upturned lips with gentle admiration. She closed her eyes and moved her face closer to his touch. She looked at him again, and he was still staring at her. She placed his hand on her cheek. _

_"Obi-Wan, are you all right?"_

_He rested his head on the pillow next to hers and brought his free arm under her head to cradle her. _

_"I…I am sorry," he whispered sheepishly. "I just cannot believe that we are here…together…like this."_

_"I have dreamed of this for years."_

_"As have I, but…I never thought it would—could—ever happen."_

_"Do you regret it?"_

_"Not even a little," he said adamantly. "That is what is the oddest for me."_

_"Oh, my love," she giggled. "Welcome to the forbidden. But don't fret too much. A few hours passion will not undermine a lifetime of selflessness. You will have to trust me on that."_

_"I trust you in all things."_

_"You sound so certain."_

_"I am."_

_"Obi-Wan, you must know…I need you to know that I love you. I always have. I've loved you…forever."_

_He took a moment to absorb that and heal the very deep wound he'd had for those years without her. "I…um…I never thought to hear that from you. I have thought it. I have even felt it. But the words…Siri, the words…"_

_"I know. I didn't know what to do when you said them to me."_

_"So much has happened…"_

_"That didn't change anything of how much I love you. I swear it, Obi-Wan. I swear it on the Jedi Order, there has been nothing to change that. Even if I did wish it so."_

_His smile was filled with empathy. "You too, eh?"_

_"What choice did we have?"_

_"None whatsoever."_

_"Then there is what happens next."_

_He shook his head. "No. I do not wish to think on anything but you right now."_

_"Obi-Wan, I haven't told you everything. What happened today, in the library…"_

_"You were overwhelmed by it, that's all. Living knowing you were used…hunted…well. I cannot imagine what it was like to be in the company of those people. I do not believe I would have reacted any differently had it been me, Siri."_

_"Oh, you're wrong. Not you. You've always been so…cool. Steadfast. It's one of the things I admire most about you. Your honor."_

_"You make me sound like a paragon. Turns out, I'm very human."_

_"I want to tell you, Obi-Wan. I want you to know exactly what you will be up against."_

_The smile he gave her warmed her like nothing else could. "Sly Moore is no match for us, Siri. Tomorrow we will find her, arrest her and return to Coruscant. They will lock her up, place her on trial, convict her and she will be nothing more to us than a very poor, very dull chapter in our lives. Do not give her more power than she deserves."_

_She stroked his cheek. He would go into battle with every necessary bit of intelligence she could provide him. She would leave the one thing a secret. He needed weapons, not hindrances. She only hoped that when all was said and done, he could forgive her the omission. Her goal now, her only goal, was to keep him alive._

_"I am not referring to Moore, love," Siri said softly. "I am referring to a much bigger, much more dangerous enemy."_

_He leaned in and kissed her. _

_"Who?"_

_She allowed the kiss to deepen, enjoyed it for several long minutes then gently broke it. "I need to start at the beginning."_

_Obi-Wan was in no hurry to break the spell around them with the cold fist of reality. He wanted to dream a little longer. _

_"You must hear it, Obi-Wan," she told him, reading his thoughts. "I am finished with being the vault of all the Council's secrets. Master Yoda doesn't believe you to be on a need-to-know basis, but I do."_

_He instantly sobered. "He has told me what to expect on this mission."_

_She shook her head with certainty. "Not all of it. He would not. He wished to meditate on it, but let's face it—we don't have time for that."_

_"All right. So tell me."_

_Siri wet her lips and took a fortifying breath. "Do you remember the day I turned over my lightsaber?"_

_Obi-Wan sighed a final time for that memory. "The image was burned into my retinas, Siri. Yes, I remember it." He brought a lock of her hair to his cheek. "It broke my heart."_

_She placed her palm over his heart, and he closed his eyes with contentment. _

_Her voice was soothing and forthright. "Three days later, I received an official edict from the office of the Chancellor. He wished to propose an 'employment opportunity'…"_

†

"Mistress Tachi."

Master Windu's voice broke her reverie, and she snapped to attention to find the eyes of each member of the Council looking at her expectantly.

"Yes, Master?"

"We asked you how you knew Ventress was waiting for you on Korriban."

She blinked, confused. "You did? When?"

Patiently, he replied. "Just now."

_I have to bide time_, she thought. "I apologize, Master. You were all shouting at one another for so long, I phased out for a moment."

There was muttering in the room along with one soft chortle from Shaak-Ti and the heavily winded sigh from Master Yoda.

Stass Allie spat with exasperation, "I see your attitudes about the proper respect within Council chambers have not changed at all."

"No, they haven't," she conceded. "Particularly when I continue to be berated within it, Master. I'm quite consistent that way."

"No one wishes to berate you, Mistress Tachi." That from Ki-Adi Mundi. "We simply want straight answers to our questions."

"You have nothing to ask me that you do not already have the answers, Master Ki-Adi. Master Yoda has informed all of you of everything that I know in regard to the Sith and his cronies." Siri looked on him levelly. "This meeting is for no other reason than to do what you can to part me from Master Kenobi. When you consider that it was all of you who raised me, it should be of no surprise to any of you that I am neither stupid nor weak. I have lived the life of sacrifice as a Jedi and for the Jedi. I will no longer.

Yet, Master Kenobi's decisions are not mine to make. He has readily stated his desire to marry me. He will have me, and I have utter confidence in that. I also believe that once he has proven that he can be trusted to wield his better judgment with the vermin Ventress to all of you, he will stand before you and say it again: he loves me. He always has. He always will, and he will marry me. And the Force knows I could never seek anything better than that."

Aghast at the level of her indignity to tradition, Ki-Adi retorted, "Why are you so gleeful at the prospect of destroying the very Order to house you?"

Siri spoke in her own defense before Master Windu could finish, "That's enou…"

"I lay claim to no such thing, sir," she said forcefully. "The Jedi have quite a large number of their own among you. The loss of one is not the destruction of all, and there is no way I will allow you or anyone else to perpetuate that myth to Obi-Wan. You have played on our loyalty long enough. We have proved—on more than a dozen occasions!—our dedication to this society and all who inhabit it. We have behaved in every manner you groomed us. We have not asked for anything—anything—beyond the courtesy to allow us to grow.

I have given my life to your protection, Masters. I have sacrificed much to help you preserve the Republic. How dare you accuse me of less?"

"Siri."

She took a calming breath. "Yes, Master Yoda?"

"Lose you or Master Kenobi, my wish it is not."

"I know it is not, but it is not only your word to confirm, sir."

"Mistress Tachi, it is a lot to accept two of our exceptional are married when it has been a code of the Jedi that they should not be."

"No group of people understands that more than Anakin, Obi-Wan and me, Master Windu." She looked at him with grace. "But there need never be an argument on the subject again. Anakin would not leave the Order unless you asked him to do so. He was totally prepared to begin a new life away from you, but you asked him to stay. He has, and he has no regret for it. Why must it be so different for Obi-Wan?"

"It is not, Siri," Shaak-Ti offered. "But you will have to concede that there is much to consider. Love…is very powerful. It has the potential for very grave danger...as what both Ani…_Anakin_ and Obi-Wan have displayed."

Siri rolled her eyes. "I do not disagree that there are ramifications, but those exist in all things, all situations. If you expect one to take the existence of the Force on faith, it is hardly folly to expect that you maintain faith in their abilities to do what is right. And do _not_ throw Ventress and the cliff back in my face for I need no reminder of it, _thank_ you."

"You risked at lot to win this opportunity with us, to urge us to allow you both a life together." Shaak-Ti smiled at her old friend. "For me, that speaks volumes for your dedication."

"The two of you could have run away and yet you faced us," Master Secura supplied.

Stass Allie added, "They have deceived us…"

"They have not been deceiving us!"

"Kenobi nearly murdered Ventress and would have had Yoda not…"

"Crossing to the Dark Side cannot be accomplished in a single act, contrary to what the Sith would have had Anakin or Obi-Wan believe. It is a _choice_, and Obi-Wan did not make it. Your assumptions of knowing his mind in that moment are…"

"Their judgment has been impaired…"

"And your arrogance has impaired you…"

"…veering from topic…"

"Obi-Wan agreed to his present post without argument…"

"…success has not been born yet, Master Shaak-Ti…"

"…about the visions? Hers and Skywalkers…"

"They have never come to us with these revelations of theirs. Is that not a deception…?"

"How many subjects are we to attack her with at once?"

"…knew what Ventress was planning yet did nothing to alert us that she needed assistance…"

"…not right! There must be more to this intrigue than any of us can discern…"

"…knows more, she would tell us…"

"…and Skywalker are probably hatching some wild scheme…"

"For the last time, we have not been deceived!"

"…Force is too strong in both of them…"

"How many issues is that now, Stass? One hundred and four?"

"…she must come forward with everything she knows…"

"…live a life with Kenobi, separate and secretive from us…"

"…ridiculous. They will always be in contact with us. Surely even you cannot dispute that…"

"…entanglements have already left us vulnerable…"

"They cannot be held accountable for the vultures of the press…"

"…a walk this morning and could not even venture beyond the gates so thick was…"

"Try to calm down."

"…an outrage! Never in all my years have I seen such a flagrant disregard for Temple…"

_Siri…we've smuggled ourselves aboard a ship. Wait for my signal._

_Anakin…hurry. He comes. _

_Try to leave Temple as soon as you can. May the Force be with you._

"…their attachments have turned Temple into Holonet's corporate office…"

"…do not see how Anakin will ever be able to leave here again…"

"That may not be a bad thing."

"…will leave once the flurry about the birth of the twins subsides…"

"Skywalker is a favorite of the people. Where he goes, they go."

Siri smiled at the last statement, and it drew their attention back to her.

"Are we amusing you, Mistress Tachi?"

"Not much, Master Allie. I was just thinking that you are _arguing_ with a similar degree of _passion_ that I have for Master Kenobi. The vehemence of which you make your points seems more than a tad _emotional_ in support of your _attachment_ to the Jedi Code." Her smile was mischievous. "You'll have to admit. It does reek of irony."

"Siri, goad him no more." Mace looked at his fellow Council members respectively. "This is accomplishing nothing. My decision is the same. Once his assignment is complete and without incident, Master Kenobi will have my vote to remain with the Jedi _and_ make you his bride."

"Thank you, Master Windu," she smiled with sincerity. "I would bow, but I think my hip is about to give way."

"That isn't funny, Siri."

Her brow lifted sardonically. "No it isn't, Master Secura. It hurts."

Mace stood and offered his assistance. "I will walk you back to Med Center."

"I appreciate that, Master, but if it's all the same I would prefer to get a lift home."

"Pfft," Stass Allie snorted. "You are in no condition to leave here, young lady."

"I can lie down and stay down on my own bed just I have upstairs, Masters. At least I would have the privacy of it being my home."

"Who will tend to you?" Ki-Adi Mundi actually looked affronted.

"I will tend to me. I've been doing it for years."

Ki-Adi looked her willfully up and down, naturally indicating her various injuries. He adopted a sarcastic tone. "Yes…How has that worked out for you?"

Siri ignored him. "I am going home."

Mace tried to smile and with false patience he remarked, "I'm afraid we cannot allow you to leave when you are clearly not well enough to see to yourself, Mistress Tachi."

"Master Windu, perhaps the only true benefit of not being a Jedi of the Order is that I no longer have to obey direction from its Council. With respect, of course."

He gnashed his teeth. "Yes. Of course. I'd forgotten that."

"That's all right, Master. I appreciate the offer."

"On my ship, you will board. Take you home, I will."

Throughout this charade of a meeting, Yoda had remained quiet. He had barely spoken, and it made her deeply suspicious. He probably knew she was up to no good. He knew everything, all the time. It was his most annoying trait. Siri resigned herself to simply going along with him to prevent a scene.

She nodded to him, once. "Of course, Master. Thank you."


	32. Show Me Yours

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Thirty-Two- Show Me Yours

Anakin adjusted his stance to shield more of Padmé from view. The other riders were for the most part indifferent to their presence. It was not often Jedi rode public transport through Coruscant, but he would not take any chances for anyone to become too suspicious. Not when his wife was with him.

He tightened his grip on the stationery pole and leaned down to whisper, "We're almost there."

Padmé glanced at him. "I'm not anxious. It is just that it is…odd seeing you this way."

His smile was charming. "I thought it ingenious."

She frowned, keeping her head down. "You look like Mas Ameeda."

Yes. He thought that unfortunate, but the disguise was necessary if they had any hope of accomplishing their mission. He could not have stepped foot outside of Temple let alone board a city vessel as himself. He—and for that matter, _she_—was entirely too well-known.

"I only require it to move about the Lower Level," he murmured. "Once we reach the bunker and gain entry, I will no longer need it."

"Bail will have it heavily guarded." She let her fingers graze his on the rail before them. "If your plan does not work, we will need a Plan B."

"It'll work." He spared her a bright grin. "Trust me."

Padmé swallowed back a joking retort and limited herself to say, "It may very well be Coty, An…Master. And not even you could make him violate an order from the Chancellor."

"Then we will hope it isn't Coty."

The shuttle stopped and more passengers boarded. The car became more crowded and with it, the heat rose. A nasty-looking man bumped into her grumpily.

He muttered something she did not understand save, "Bullying J_ee_di."

Padmé was shoved against her husband's chest as he barreled past her and several others so she missed the irate glare in Anakin's eyes.

"You all right?" he asked her gutturally.

"That was quite rude." She spared him another glance before readjusting her hood. "Do you get that reaction often?"

"Twilighters," he sighed with disgust, and then shrugged, "Felonious ilk. They're not fond of the Jedi, no."

"They do not know any better."

His silent nod served to evaporate his irritation. "Preconceptions, even mine, are dangerous…padawan. Perhaps he is simply having a bad day."

He felt the shake of her head against his arm. "There is so much about this side of your life I fear I will never understand."

Anakin looked around them briefly then leaned down, so close to her face he could smell her intoxicating scent. "Then I will teach you."

His fingers gently tapped what he could see of her chin. "It will be over soon."

She sighed against the brush of his fingertips on her lips. "I love you."

Anakin straightened himself and cleared his throat, filled with unstoppable energy. "Keep your thoughts to the here and now, padawan. Our task is upon us."

Her tone was appropriately chastened as she smiled, "Yes, Master."

The overhead digital reader let Anakin know it was time to disembark.

His manner became distant and professional. "All right. Here we are."

Doors slid open, and Padmé followed him out onto a platform.

"We'll have to walk the rest of the way," he told her, weaving through the small groups with her close at his back. "Keep your steps sure. We cannot move too quickly. We must present ourselves as nondescript as possible."

Padmé kept in-step with him easily. "The bunker is approximately two miles from here, and there are perimeter checks surrounding it within a mile. Only three people have the Senate verification code cards for passage: Mon Mothma, Bail, and Master…"

"It has been taken care of."

Surprise nearly made her stumble. "How did you…you _stole_ it from Master Yoda?"

He didn't so much as slow his stride. "The Jedi do not steal. We…_requisition_."

"I do not think he will see it quite that way. I suppose that philosophy falls in line with 'aggressive negotiations'?"

"You're quick. I like that about you."

"He will be greatly displeased with us."

"That is a fair assessment."

"You will be called into Council for another lecture you are sure to ignore."

"I resent that," he told her mildly. "I am a changed man."

"Oh? So you will humbly accept whatever form of penance they wish to serve you?"

The idea of another reprimand was enough to make him plead, "One obstacle at a time. Please."

Padmé said nothing more until after they had managed to make adequate distance from the populace.

"Do you think Siri has managed to leave Temple without suspicion?"

"I do not know. The issue Council has with her may prove to be more relevant than she thinks."

"I do not understand why they are so hard on her."

Anakin scanned the horizon, shrugging. "I think Master Allie and Ki-Adi will calm down once they get used to everything happening to us. They're good men. I do not believe they have forgiven her for leaving the Order."

"They would not hold that against her all this time, surely."

"They do not understand why she left. How could they? Nevertheless, once this whole episode is complete, they will go with whatever decisions Masters Yoda and Windu make. If for no other reason than to keep things harmonious with the rest of the Jedi. They will present a united front to stave possible dissention."

"Well, they cannot believe she is going to sit idly by while Obi-Wan baby-sits Ventress."

"Sure they will," Anakin replied with confidence. "Obi-Wan's assignment is a test he must pass, and they will spare no argument to convince her of it. She'll play along. She will do whatever she must to see this through without alerting the Council to our plans. And as you know, her methods can be…unconventional."

"Oh," Padmé groaned. "I hope she does not lose her patience and do something rash."

"Don't worry, my love," he replied. "Siri has it completely under control."

Anakin could see the small formation of the bunker's entrance in the distance.

"She has to."

♦

It was unraveling. Siri could sense it. Grimly, she tried to focus on the Force. There was a steady but still subtle tremor. Her eyes snapped open, and she exhaled in disgust. There was something—some_one_—out there. Its…No. This tremor was a decidedly masculine vibration. _His_ presence was so strong but a few minutes ago. She had not yet lost her grip on the situation, but it would become increasingly slippery as the seconds passed and she would be made to accept Yoda as her chaperone.

She stared out into Coruscant's skyline. There was no traffic at the height of the third spire, and she had an unobstructed view. She heard no noise, could not feel the slight chill in the air to accompany the slowly descending sun. Her gaze darted alertly across the horizon looking for any sign of distress. She could not feel anything strong enough in the Force to mark the moment. She closed her eyes again briefly and took a deep breath.

_Obi-Wan walked solemnly alongside the upright hoverboard carrying the shackled Ventress, his eyes looking calmly ahead of him. Clone troopers flanked him_.

All was quiet at Galactic City Prison.

Siri wet her lips and concentrated on the vision of two Jedi trekking a clear path on a dusty plain several miles away. They were safe.

The soft taps of his gimmer stick on the concrete as Yoda walked onto the flight platform made Siri dismiss her musings and turn around. She felt his unease. She was sorry for it, but there was nothing to be done about it. She could ignore the surreptitious glances he was giving her when he thought she wasn't looking. She could keep her thoughts in check. There was nothing the old Jedi could try that she was not prepared to counter.

Yoda exchanged a few words with the knights who guarded the spire. They bowed and resumed their positions as he finished the way to the ramp.

"Ready, Siri?"

She glanced once more at the knights then carefully crouched to the floor. "I am fine, Master."

"Not healed you are," he said dismissively. "Go with you, I will. See to your needs, hmm?"

"I do not require aid," she stated firmly. "I have handled much deeper wounds than these. I damn near broke my back in the crash with Magus. Remember?"

He stepped onto the ramp. "Remember it, I do."

Siri stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can take care of myself, Yoda. Please? I need to be alone, and…you need to be here."

She tried guile. "I need you to speak with Masters Stass and Ki-Adi. I stepped too far out of bounds with them today. I do not wish for them to take my actions out on Obi-Wan upon his return. Will you stay? Will you do that for me?"

His response was surprisingly stern. "Board this ship, you will. Right now."

Taken aback, she dropped her hand and rose. "Yes, Master."

Numbly, she followed him up the ramp. The door shut soon after and the small space was dark. She said nothing as she watched him climb into his seat, strap himself in, and ignite the engine. She shook her head with impatience.

"Yoda, you should not interfere."

He put on a comm-unit. "My patience wears thin with you. Take your seat."

There was that infuriating tone again, the calm that belied his mood. "You only think you know what is happening. You do not, and you cannot help."

"Assume too much you do, as does Skywalker." He pressed a button the console to bring up the anchoring gears. "Your arrogance, gravely misplaced."

She sat down in the co-pilot chair and had to tuck her legs closer to her chest to fit there. "Yoda, there have been many things that I have reported to you about the Sith, about their methods, about their deeds that have seen no binding resolution. The Jedi Council is clearly more concerned about my personal affairs than seeing whatever darkness beckons. Should the Sith exist, it should be up to Anakin and I to get rid of them."

"Your battle, you believe it is to fight. Yours and Anakin's alone."

"Because it is."

"Think you to sacrifice yourselves to the cause of the Jedi, the cause of the Republic."

"It will not come to that; but even if it does, we are prepared to do what we must."

"As you did on Korriban."

"No, not like on Korriban. We mean to finish it."

"In the name of democracy."

"Yes!" she hissed with temper. "Don't you understand, Master? It will be over. It will finally be over!"

"At what, the cost?"

"We will succeed. There will be no debt."

"Ah…" He looked ahead and brought the ship's exhausts shook. "Justified you feel your covert actions. Selfless and righteous they are."

"You're damn right. It is the way of the Jedi. Can you dispute that?"

"No, I cannot. What you infer, the motive behind it…the thoughts of a Dark Jedi, it is. Selfish, not selfless."

Appalled by the implication, she stared at him and stuttered, "No. No…it isn't…I'm not."

"Worked it out in your head, you have, that what you do, what you plan, just it is. Controlled you are by your emotions, your pain…your need for vengeance. You have not listened to the Force. Battle against yourself you do, and obstacles you throw into your own path, you are. Approval from the Jedi you seek to bring you and your Master Kenobi together. With us, you blame."

"That's not true," she replied softly. "I do not blame the Jedi."

"Failed yourself you have in not keeping faith."

"No! I have done everything for you—for all of you!"

"Look you _at_ you now. Consumed you are with the Dark Side. The picture of the danger in attachment. Become you have the instrument of the Council's fears."

"Stop it. You're just trying to manipulate me. You're trying to guilt me."

"It is right to question my abilities, my fortitude. A principle of Jedi thought it is. Wrong, however, to question my desire to offer you what I can. _Wrong_ to _assume_ that you would _not_ require help, and worse…not to ask for it."

Shame filled her with hot stealth, but she cleared her throat and remained composed. "The more people that know what goes on, the less our chances are of succeeding in our mission. You know that as well as I. Master, you cannot indiscriminately pardon or condemn what I am doing when you actively perform similar deeds for the same principle. You kept my assignment with Palpatine under deep cover from everyone."

She stonily spied him from the corner of her eye. "You are the Grand Jedi Master. No one emits more Force tremors than you, Yoda. Your thoughts, your feelings, could betray you. At this very moment, everything Anakin and me have put together is in jeopardy because you know. And all our careful planning may now be moot."

"Told me from the start, you should have. Responsibility for that you will take."

Siri placed the comm-unit band over her head. "I am not selfish. I am not ruled by passion or made unreasonable by love. If my behavior reminds you so of the dark, it is only fitting that I bring the light to your own secrets, Master."

"Play no such game with you, I will."

"Oh, this is no game, Yoda. I vow it. You want to hear my plans for the immediate future; I want the details on the shadow in your distant past."

"What mean you?"

"I mean, my little green friend, that I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

He sighed. "Rest you need. Delirious you are."

"What's the matter, Master? Still trying to 'protect' us all? Have you 'worked it up in your head' that keeping the secret is _just_? 'Sacrificing' yourself to keep it concealed? 'Justifying' your decision to remain silent claiming that no good could possibly come with the revelation, that your motives for doing so are 'righteous'?"

Yoda fell gently back against his seat, defeated. "How long have you known?"

Siri released her held breath. She answered him in a whisper. "Since Vjun."

She looked at him, but he still stared ahead. "I felt you with Dooku. You tried to return him to us while…Before he died, before Darth Maul killed him on Naboo…did Qui-Gon know?"

"He did not."

"He loved Tahl very much, didn't he?"

"As she loved him."

"She came to you when she discovered she was pregnant."

"Yes."

"And neither of you told Qui-Gon he was to be a father."

"No."

"Master…please tell me…_please_…tell me that decision was _hers_, and she made it by herself."

"She fell. I caught her. Did what I could for her; accept, she would not. Her decisions were hers."

"Tahl could not keep the child if she were to remain a Jedi. She knew that. It would be too physically dangerous, and she thought she would have no other place to go. She and Qui-Gon would be required to leave the Order, and..."

Blistering irony at the similarities between she and the long-deceased Tahl made her shudder. "And she could never allow Qui-Gon to leave the only life they knew. She loved him too much. Then to bear a child who would have been looked on as a mistake by their peers and subject to ridicule by others would have been cruel, and she loved the baby, too. She wanted the baby to live and concealing her condition would have been impossible given the circumstances, so…"

"Found the best possible vessel for the gestation period, she did."

"Shmi Skywalker."

Yoda slowly nodded. "A widow herself, Shmi never thought she would bear children of her own. Deserving she was, of motherhood. Good, kind…expect nothing more, Tahl did."

There was remorse in his damp eyes. "Explained to her I did, that provide for her always, I would. Protect her and her child, I would try."

There it was. Where the incredible, complicated network of Jedi and Sith reached an extraordinary apex. All lines connected to Anakin. That was, of course, what each of them suspected but few knew for certainty. Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Jinn. Seed of two Jedi, son of Shmi. The realization of a millennia-old prophecy in warm, lovely, but tortured flesh. His life in its entirety was born on a lie. Conflict came to him honestly. He had been conceived by an act of love, formed within the womb of a woman filled with fear, and placed in the care of a wonderful woman made to love but lacking in happiness.

It was one thing to suppose that Qui-Gon was Anakin's father, but the words affirming it filled Siri with anguish. There had been so many reasons, so many avenues for Anakin to walk into the Dark Side. It was not even a Force manipulation, but the relatively simple, deceptively innocent work of heredity.

Palpatine had told Anakin that the Sith knew how to manipulate midichloriants, to prevent death. It stood to reason that they would also have the knowledge and the resources to build another person. To clinically and unnaturally create a life. Use the essence of a Sith –or steal that of two Jedi—and rear the ultimate Dark Lord. It was utterly seamless for Anakin to put that information together with his lack of a father and surmise that his existence was not only inorganic (as he had already been led to understand) but the worst possible combination of ambition and exploitation in the Dark Side of the Force.

Dooku had voiced his opinion of Sidious' mechanizations to his Jedi hostage on Vjun. He did not directly reveal his evil Master's intentions or even his own. It was his feelings that gave her clues. He was far too smart to give Yoda any leverage, but his awareness of Siri was stunted. That stemmed from his automatic dismissal of her as nothing more than Palpatine's fancy, and Kenobi's cloying encumbrance.

Why waste time in experimental science when you could simply pick the apple from the tree? Dooku could no longer have Qui-Gon, whom he actually respected. By then, Qui-Gon was lost. The next best thing to Dooku's mind was Qui-Gon's apprentice. The Jedi progression for him was simple, though he had embraced the Dark Side. He had been Qui-Gon's Master, therefore Obi-Wan was the closest thing to a grandson Dooku would ever have. His skills would be Obi-Wan's by a quirk of Jedi education. False lineage: Dooku, Jinn, Kenobi.

Dooku would have never lowered himself to accept a fraud. Cloning and conception within a petrie dish were uncouth and uncivilized. He found the very idea of it repugnant, but his Master did not.

Darth Sidious believed Anakin's conception to be immaculate. He had not known the truth. So it was sickeningly possible that he thought Ani was in fact his son.

Siri was amazed at how clearly her thoughts had collected and sharpened. She followed the thread.

If Sidious believed Anakin his son, it demonstrated that he _had_ dabbled in genetic-engineering. There was a very good possibility that there had been a misbegotten Sith progeny.

Her gasp was long and drawn with the revelation.

"_Stars_," she breathed. "That's it. That's him."

"Who?"

Siri turned her head sharply to look at Yoda. "Sidious' trump card."

"Sit here in this cockpit on this tarmac, do we? Or go and tell me, you will, on the way?"

"I must wait for Anakin's signal," she told him. "We cannot give him away. We must wait."

"Then do so, we will. Away from Temple."

Seconds later, the two-seater skiff rose above the platform and into the sky.


	33. Conscience

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Any errors and omissions are my responsibility in this alternate universe story.

Chapter Thirty-Three- Conscience

Siri looked through the binoculars, slowly turning herself around to scan all of Coruscant. Yoda stood beside her, his small form still and quiet. The wind from atop 500 Republica was tranquil. The noise from the traffic below was minimal. The only sound to ruffle the relative peace was the light hum from Anakin's astromech and regular companion.

"You doing all right, Artoo?"

_Whorl whirl_…

"Holds what he knows better than any of us, he does," Yoda said sweetly. "Do you not, Artoo?"

_Beep_!

Siri set the binoculars on the ground and sat down, her back to the cement railing. "Master, would you help me change my sapir dressing?"

"Your side pulling?"

"Seeping actually," she answered sheepishly. "You may have been right that it was too soon for me to leave Med Center."

Yoda humphed but refrained from the usual, 'I told you so'. He helped her unbuckle her sling, and she held her useless arm to her chest as he gently lifted her shirt. Bant had done a wonderful job in sealing the wound, but it was still tender and somewhat inflamed.

"Careful you must be with this," he told her. "Reopen, it may and with it, infection."

"I'd say that is the least of my concerns for now, Master." She hissed when he poured the cold solution on the wound. She watched him focus on cleaning Ventress' gift and wondered about everything she had found out today.

"Ask me," he said simply, never breaking from his task.

Artoo respectfully began moving away to give them privacy, but Siri stopped him. "You have already secured a decade's-worth of our peccadilloes, old friend. Stay, for posterity's sake."

She turned to Yoda again. "Tahl would have not have told you to whom she had given her... You and the Council would have brought the child here anyway. You knew that the baby was already a very powerful Jedi. Yet you regarded Anakin with suspicion when Qui-Gon requested to train him. When, exactly, did you know that Ani was Qui-Gon's son?"

"When first brought before me, he was," Yoda sighed. "Attachment to the boy, Qui-Gon had from the introduction. Unexplained it was to our comrade, but there nevertheless. Obi-Wan had handed over a blood sample Qui-Gon had taken from the boy on Tatooine. Brought it to the labs, I did, to see for myself."

"And?"

"Infinite midichlorian count. Matched nucleonic cells, the program did…to two Jedi."

"Yes. You changed the records on that, didn't you? You deleted it from archive memory."

"Yes."

"What about Master Windu?"

"Know, he does not."

"Why did you believe Anakin so dangerous? He was just a boy."

"Filled with anger. So much hate. The boy…not a boy. Wise, very wise. Beyond his years and sad."

Siri bit back the bitterness but couldn't keep it out of her reply. "Slavery will do that to a kid."

"Much to regret about Anakin's upbringing I have."

"Yoda, you couldn't have known that slavery would be any part of his life."

"No," he relented. "Tatooine, far into the Outer Rim territories. Even I, his presence feel I could not."

She held tape while he replaced the sapir pad on her flesh. "He'll have to know. He deserves it, Yoda."

He fell silent, and Siri fixed him a stern look. "You think what you do is right, that you're protecting him. You're not. Anakin _is_ a very powerful Jedi. He is our best, and eventually he _will_ feel your distress. Then your sacrifice will be regarded as a lie to _hurt_ him. He does not react kindly to deception. He's been betrayed by trusting the wrong people, and he will lash out. And frankly, he would have a very real reason to be upset."

"Discover it on his own, he will. Too late to defend my role in the drama will be."

"Then I will trust Anakin to make the right choices…as I always have. You must be prepared for any eventuality, however, that comes with the knowledge. The Jedi Order may lose him after all."

Yoda fixed her shirt back over the wound and adjusted her arm back within the buckled sling.

His voice was hoarse. "Better that than lose him to the Dark Side. Too many lies…None of this, I meant."

"The burden on your soul…Yoda, it was too great. You cannot protect us—the Jedi—from everything, all the time. Or even some of the time. Your attachments carry price tags as well."

"These choices…hard…painful, they are."

"The important ones always are, Master." Siri's palm touched his wrinkled cheek. "If they were easy, our paths would be pointless."

♦

The warden of Galactic City Prison met the motley group of regulators within the wide courtyard. The Anaxian's craggily aged features were impassive as he looked his new prisoner up and down. Obi-Wan stood to the side as General Ackbar spoke with the man and exchanged the necessary paperwork contracting Ventress to the warden's care.

Obi-Wan used this time to case his surroundings. The facility was new construction. It was built to accommodate the increasing number of the Republic's enemies during the Clone War. It housed the worst of the lot. Right now the remaining members of the Trade Federation were inside these walls. He did not much like the proposal to keep Ventress alongside her twisted mentor's co-conspirators, but the decision was not his to make. He would have no voice in this matter, but it was just as well. His acceptance that the job of guarding her belonged to him was appropriate. He would do as he was bidden. It would be like every other assignment. Nothing more.

The flimsiplast he had downloaded from the archives noted all the entries and exits of the building. He had briefly studied every marking of the prints. He knew every room, every panel, every locked door and all the contents. Since Asajj would be confined to a small viewless room in solitary confinement, Obi-Wan had no clear reason to worry about possible insurgence coupled with others.

That did not stop him, however, from considering it. He would not take it for granted that the design of the prison was completely mapped. He did not, after all, have any part in its building. He was raised to believe that your eyes could deceive you. He could take it all in at face value, but he would learn more by listening to the Force.

Something was going to happen here today. Obi-Wan could not shake his unease. This transport had been too easy. Ventress, too confident. His experience with her was rife with battle—verbal _and_ physical. She had never been submissive, never serene. He would like to believe that her injuries acquired in her loss yesterday had changed her thinking. Her barbs on the way here had been almost jovial. He still didn't trust her worth a farthing, but he was fairly confident any move of attack would not come from her. It may not have anything to do with her whatsoever.

And thus his ambivalence on how to proceed. Obi-Wan wanted to fix himself on Siri for just a moment. He wanted to sense her, the feelings within her. Perhaps she was more receptive than he was in deciphering the murmurings in the Force. This exasperating, elusive disturbance.

Obi-Wan bowed his head and sighed. He told himself to concentrate on the here and now. He had been given strict orders that he was not to communicate with Siri in any way. To break those orders would be further evidence to the Council on the dangers of attachment, for not only would he be disobeying a direct order from his peers, but it proved that he could not focus on the mission at hand for he was trying to plot a course of action off the feelings of someone else.

He took a deep breath to settle himself.

_Don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration in the here and now, where it belongs._

Qui-Gon's advice on that fateful day over Naboo so many years ago came to him out of the blue. It made Obi-Wan smile. They were in dangerous proximity to the Trade Federation then, too. He permitted himself a nanosecond to marvel on how much had changed, how much had happened to the Republic and to the Jedi since just before and following Qui-Gon's deeply mourned passing.

It was almost overwhelming—the return of the Sith, his introduction to Anakin and consequent promise of the boy's training. Discovering that a senator—a dreaded politician—was their closest and most loyal ally. How that friendship with Padmé Amidala had rocked the Jedi foundation. What incredible adventures! What devastating tragedies. What joyous reconciliations. The extraordinary acts of love. The enduring bonds of friendship. He could not regret a moment of it. Not even the worst moments. Even the sting from the loss of his master was not as wrenching as it was, but still…

It was wrong to think it now, but he would do so and then return to the task at hand.

_I wish you were here, Master_, he thought. _You are sorely missed._

Obi-Wan sighed gustily. Okay. Back to the Living Force.

"Master Jedi," the warden smiled. "I think you will find we are more than adequately equipped to contain your Sith friend here. You may report that to your Council."

Obi-Wan bowed as a respectful greeting and said, "The Jedi have utter confidence in your abilities, Warden. My presence here is requested by the Senate. I shall endeavor to remain out of your way. You will not find my position here to be disruptive."

The warden stared at him long enough to make Obi-Wan curious. One more body in the hall should not be such a thing of irritation for the man. Particularly when the soul in question was him.

The warden waved to a couple of guards. They jogged to flank Ventress.

"Guide the prisoner to the infirmary," he instructed. "Stay with her during her physical."

"Yes, sir!"

Obi-Wan took a step forward to follow, but Warden Burek stayed him.

"It's procedure, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan glared at the hand in front of his chest. "I'm sure you understand, sir, that I must accompany her. I have my orders."

Burek deliberated for a moment then relented, "I'll walk with you then."

Obi-Wan nodded once and fell into step with the older man.

Burek kept his tone hushed. "Please forgive my manners, General Kenobi. I do not have any personal objection to your being here. I understand that you are doing as dictated, but…"

"But?"

"I fear for your safety."

Surprised, Obi-Wan side-glanced him. He looked for any sign of deceit in the man's eyes. There was none, and the air about him reeked sincerity.

"Your concern is appreciated, sir, but unnecessary." Obi-Wan kept his tone light. "She is no danger to me or anyone else."

"I do not refer to Ventress, General," Burek told him. "The members of the Trade Federation are incarcerated here. Last night, there was a ruckus in the dining hall. It seems Gunray was most displeased by the news that the senator from Naboo gave birth to the children of Commander Skywalker. His reaction nearly incited a riot."

"HoloNet?"

"Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan snorted derisively. He was a firm believer that people who had committed crimes could be rehabilitated; and the prison system, while flawed, could still be effective in providing that. He would never understand, however, the so-called privilege of HoloNet viewing as part of it. There was the news, and there was the news as reported by HoloNet. The two were not the same.

"Nute Gunray has always had an unnatural hatred for Senator Amidala," Obi-Wan explained. "Since she served as the queen of Naboo, and he invaded it."

"He appeared to take it as a personal affront, General," Burek replied. "He cursed her, the former Chancellor, and the Jedi. He pointedly blames Senator Amidala and Commander Skywalker for being here."

"Yes, naturally," Obi-Wan sighed. "Stars forbid he take any responsibility for his crimes against the Republic."

They turned down a long hallway.

"There are whispers, General, of an insurrection," the warden confided. "My men are on a very quiet alert. Perhaps Galactic City was not the most prudent place to imprison the traitors. Were they to break out of here, they would have a very short distance to the senator's residence."

_How to put this without sounding arrogant_? Obi-Wan pondered.

"The Skywalkers are safely ensconced within Temple. They are perfectly safe from Gunray and his hapless cohorts." He smiled for him. "And if the Senate were to send the prisoners anywhere else, there would have been the same danger of them escaping. Only the means to recapture them would have been much wider and less cohesive. It is better this way."

Burek pinched the bridge of his nose as if to ward of an oncoming headache. "All this politics…I am from Anaxes."

"Ah…" Obi-Wan breathed with understanding. "'The Defenders of the Core'. Have I got that right?"

"Yes, sir. My people are protectors. We believe in the Republic, but…"

"I have no more of a taste or comprehension for how politics and courts work than you do, warden. It seems the Anaxians and the Jedi have that much in common, along with the need to preserve conformity to the law whenever we can."

"Nevertheless…" Burek placed his hand kindly on Obi-Wan's sleeve, and they stopped. "You must know that given the character of those who call this facility 'home'—for lack of a more appropriate word—the very idea of you taking up residence here is…discomfiting. Gunray and the others…they are not the only ones with gripes against the Jedi. There may even be a couple of bounty hunters and pick-pockets that you have personally sent here, General Kenobi."

Again, Obi-Wan could not discern any ulterior motive for his kindness. The man was genuinely concerned for his welfare.

"I shall double my attention, Warden Burek."

The warden glanced about them, thinking on it.

Obi-Wan sighed and once again followed the charge of Ventress.

"Try not to worry," he called back calmly. "Sometimes that only provokes incident."

He met General Ackbar outside the doors to the theatre where Ventress was presently being unshackled from the hoverboard. They watched in comfortable silence for several moments before General Ackbar spoke.

"I heard what you and Burek discussed," he said. "Not a favorable conversation to have so close to Ventress. Everything he fears she may very well instigate."

"If that were the case, General, we would not have made it past the courtyard. Asajj would have had open ground on which to run. In here, she is surrounded."

"She was given a physical check before we left Jedi Temple."

"This is standard. It's printing and delousing."

"It makes me ponder how anyone makes a conscious decision for a life of crime when so many indignities are used on you when you're caught."

Obi-Wan agreed. Ventress had suffered many indignities throughout her life, but all of it was self-inflicted. She was as indifferent to this one as she was the others.

The guards began to strip her, and Obi-Wan turned away. Perhaps she did not mind the audience, but he was not one for voyeurism.

With as much propriety as possible, his Mon-Calamarian friend clinically reported the details to him as they happened.

"They have placed her against the tiles and the shower has started."

Obi-Wan heard her yelp and read her mind. "The water is too cold. It startled her."

"Other than that, what is her mood?"

"Compliant."

"That doesn't strike you as odd?"

"She is blocking me as much as possible. But that is to be expected, General. She doesn't want me to know what she thinks."

"We should not assume that she is weak or that she still does not plan to run, General Kenobi."

"I have indulged in those theories on our trek here, General. The possibility is, of course, there. The ease with which we have moved her is as much an argument for both as her fight to keep her mind clear. We can do nothing but wait."

Ackbar nodded and watched as the guards helped to keep Ventress upright as two more guards patted her dry. They sprayed her with another substance before a fifth guard stepped forward to dress her in prison garb.

"She truly meant to take over the Republic?"

"Yes. She meant to create a galactic empire under her rule."

"The woman is completely without conscience."

Obi-Wan looked up the larger man's profile. "You're wrong, General. Asajj has a conscience. Don't assume that her actions have made her unpredictable. Use what you know. We have all been aware of her capabilities. Her judgment has always been clouded by the need for vengeance. Her decisions were emotional ones. She may have a bad conscience, but she does have one. There is danger in dismissing her heart."

"Black and twisted it may be."

"Yes."

The guards strapped shackles to her ankles and the chain leading to similar bracelets for her wrists.

"Would you, really, have killed her on that cliff?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes. I would have. And that would have been on _my_ good conscience for the rest of my days."

"So the separation between you two is remorse."

Sensing the immodest portion of the goings-on was finished, Obi-Wan turned back to the view panel. "I suppose."

Ventress raised her head and looked at the view panel to where Ackbar and Kenobi stood. Her eyes met Kenobi's.

Obi-Wan frowned at her pallor. She looked ill.

"Where is she assigned?" he asked Ackbar.

"The west wing. Solitary confinement under maximum security."

_Kenobi_…

Obi-Wan pushed the doors opened and strode in to recover custody. "I will lead her to her room, gentleman."

"Our orders are to escort you and the prisoner, sir."

"And you shall, but you will follow me."

"Yes, sir."

He crouched down to adjust her boots. His question was quiet. "Are you unwell?"

Ventress looked down at him, at his face. What she saw made her gaze narrow. "I am well enough."

"Can you walk on your own?"

"Yes."

"You can rest once we reach your chambers."

"You make it sound as though I will be entering a posh suite with a comfortable bed. Do not condescend to me with a false show of concern, Kenobi. It insults us both."

Obi-Wan stood and spoke directly to her—eye to eye. "It is not my wish to see you abused any further, Asajj."

The statement surprised her. Unwilling to let her know that it was meant with honest sincerity, he added, "At least until after your trial."

Ventress grinned at him now, and it was a true one. So much so that Ackbar and Warden Burek exchanged looks. They still could not hear what the Jedi and Sith were whispering.

Obi-Wan smiled back. "I'm here to keep you healthy. Come on. Step lively!"

They were surrounded by guards and led by Ackbar and Burek as they stepped into the corridor.

_Asajj, you cannot hope to block me indefinitely. Eventually you will grow tired._

_Block you? Is that what you think I am doing? What fun would I find in that?_

_Then you're…_what? _Pensive_.

_Resigned._

_Resigned. Dare I hope that you have accepted your fate and will be a pleasant companion for me the next few days?_

All semblance of good humor fled and she looked at him.

_Enough, Jeedi. You cannot lie to me. There is a disturbance in the Force. You feel it, too. _

Obi-Wan glanced at the people around them. _Yes. I have felt it. Nothing will come to you, Asajj. You will not escape justice._

_Kenobi…_The tone of her thoughts was strangely woeful._ You know well that I will not see justice. _

Their steps remained steady and sure. Obi-Wan did not look at her.

_I will not survive this day, _she finished and Obi-Wan started, glancing at her penetratingly. She shook her head somberly to confirm it.

_I will not survive sunset._

♦

"Halt."

Anakin stopped a step before Padmé, and she nearly tripped on the hem of her cloak.

"You may lower your weapons and stand at-ease, troopers," Anakin said calmly, with a hint of a Champallan accent that made his words sound over-enunciated.

"I am Jedi Knight Tatom Esp. This is padawan learner, Varyn Bookin. We seek entry to the bunker."

"We will need to clear it with my commander, Knight Esp."

Padmé saw her husband discreetly wave his left hand and say, "You don't need to contact your commander."

"We don't need to contact our commander."

"We have authority to enter and move about freely."

"Enter, and move about freely."

"It will be as if we are not even here."

"You are not even here."

"Thank you, troopers."

"Thank you."

Anakin swiped the code card over the security panel and with a harsh buzz the gate door slid open.

He whispered to his padawan. "Let's go. Quickly, angel."

They casually stepped through the entry then the gate promptly shut behind them.

Walking briskly atop the sand, Padmé remarked, "That will never cease fascinating me."

"What?"

"Mind trick."

"I don't like using it."

"Yes, you do."

"Okay. Maybe a little. But only when it's for a good cause."

"Whatever you say, darling."

"Stop that."

"What?"

"You know I don't like it when you use that tone."

"The 'I will forever indulge you, darling, though I know better' tone?"

He grunted in defeat. "Yes. That one."

Padmé looked at the make-shift entrance of sand and clay and shivered. Until now, she could think about it distantly. But standing here before Palpatine's sanctuary, she could not believe she ever thought she could be indifferent to all the evil he plotted here. This is where that monster plotted her murder all those years ago. This is where he designed the means to dismantle the Republic and slaughter her friends.

This is where he meditated on taking her husband from her.

She had never known hatred before now. But that is what she felt for her former colleague—deep, bitter, seething hatred. Padmé knew that feeling anything at all for Palpatine was wasteful, but right now? It felt good. It felt necessary.

Padmé put it out of her mind and said, "Your names choices were interesting. How did you come up with them?"

Anakin took her hand and pulled on it so that she ducked down a little with him. He peered into the darkness of the hole in the ground and the steps going into it. "Tatom Esp is word play on Tatooine and Mos Espa. Your name was parts Naboo and Varykino."

Padmé looked up from the dank stairwell and smiled at him. "Where we met and where we married. That was inspired, darling."

"I do what I can." He looked at her seriously. "Can you make it down the steps, angel? Are you in any pain?"

She wet her lips. "I'm a little tired, but I can make it."

Anakin descended six-steps and reached for her. "Not worth the effort. Come, sweetheart."

He carefully lifted her into his arms, holding her small form against his chest. "Put your arms around my neck."

Grateful, she did so and rested her head in the curve his neck. "You do this so well."

He began slowly going down the stairs. He was relying more on the Force than his eyes to make the journey. Padmé was concerned. He felt it. He agreed with her completely. They were flies stepping into the spider's parlor. He would try to ease the situation for her the only way he could. He decided to tease her. "I've had a lot of practice. Plenty of damsels in distress throughout the galaxy."

Padmé raised her head a little. "Rescue exotic women often, did you?"

"Absolutely. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it."

"Where was Obi-Wan during all these heroic and selfless endeavors? Your mastery could have come years ago."

"Master is not very chivalrous, I'm afraid. That, and he has a bad back. He's getting old, you know."

"Keep going with this, and I am going to tell him you said that."

He grinned in the blackness. "Did I ever tell you about the time I kissed Siri?"

Anakin didn't need to see her to know her gaze had narrowed. "No, I do not believe you have."

"Are you sure?"

"_Anakin_…"

"She was my first." Anakin sighed with sincere warmth. "Lovely experience."

The grip of her right hand on his neck tightened. "Go on."

"Obi-Wan and I were on assignment in Laressa. That's on Phindar."

Anakin turned to his side. The width of the space was narrowing. His thoughts paused for a moment to collect more of the Force vibrations.

"Ani?"

"We were on Phindar. Perfectly horrible place. A criminals paradise."

His eyes were fixed on the fathomless space below them. "Siri was undercover and had infiltrated a droid-assassin ring. We were sent to bring back her intelligence to the Senate."

"I don't remember any such case."

"You were not there for the presentation. You had been called away."

"When was this?"

"Five years ago."

"Okay. You were on assignment. She was on assignment. You brought down the bad guys and puckered up your lips. Gist of it?"

Anakin reflected on the moment it happened and the expression on Siri's face when he did it. He chuckled.

"Well, you see, I, um, I was curious."

He felt her nod against his neck. "All right. And?"

"We were on the veranda of her rented quarters and the moons were full, the breezes high. The city lights played on her features in such a way that…"

"I get the picture, Ani. Very romantic. Pray continue. Get to the part that explains your need to kiss my friend."

"She looked…so lonely, Padmé. Like she didn't have a friend in the world."

She didn't say anything, and he could feel jealousy dissipate. "You _pitied_ her? Is that why you…?"

"No!" he said emphatically. "It was not pity. Never pity. I understood the loneliness, I suppose. Misery loves company. I just empathized with her. I knew that emotion far too well.

She had turned to greet me and her smile was…I don't know. So, I leaned down and did it. Planted my lips on hers. Nothing offensive, mind you—I like my body parts where they are. No, it was very soft, very sweet, very _dry_. Downright chaste, you might say. But there was a second, one wonderful second when I think she was responding."

"Oh."

His wife sounded so forlorn that he felt obligated to add, "She was surprised and certainly not falling into it, but she wasn't pushing me away. Then Obi-Wan came out, and it was over."

"How wonderful of him," Padmé sighed happily. "Were you in much trouble after?"

"You know, he never mentioned it? It was like he didn't see it. It's funny to think about that now. He was so composed. I think he thought it best to put it out of his mind. Whatever worked for him."

"What about Siri?"

"The next morning she told me that it was very kind of me to demonstrate my wooing skills on her, but that I should save them for someone who didn't look on me as a brother. And I did. You."

"Good choice, Skywalker."

"Thank you." He foot found solid, unbroken ground. He carried her through the antechamber. "This is it."

Anakin set her on her feet, waved his hand and after a moment of sputtering and protest, the lights worked. It was still fairly dim, and he wondered how much power his Force sensitivity could produce to sustain it. Bail had naturally, if now inconveniently, cut all power sources to the bunker's main line and generators. The Senate team would have had to be careful about removing anything from here. Trust was a paramount issue—who would retrieve it and where would they put it? Safety was also a factor. What if they unscrewed bolts, lifted the desk or panels…and were then blown to the Outer Rim? The process of dismantling the bunker would not be an easy one compared to what he was here to do. He hoped they would find what he was looking for here. It was risky just being here and again, knowing he needed Padmé here with him prickled. He could not let touch anything without him checking it first.

Padmé looked around the cavernous main room. There were two corridors—one on the left, one on the right. From the reports that Bail and Mon Mothma had brought back to the Senate, Padmé knew that the left corridor led to an improvised laboratory. The right led to miniature archives and a refresher. The main room itself was unimposing. There were several computers attached to the single mainframe in the center of a long table across from where she now stood. Three of the walls had wide holographic view panels. Still-functioning Chronos told Coruscanti time and that of several other systems. A large, sophisticated desk was in the center of the room. Its items, as well as all flimsiplasts and holopads that were once here, were in the possession of Chancellor Organa.

All-in-all, Padmé was not nearly as intimidated by it as she thought she would be.

"Hmm. It actually looks to have been a very useful station."

Her husband looked down at her with a sardonic brow raised.

She met his gaze directly. "I didn't say I wanted to set-up shop here, darling, but I can see how it would serve his purposes."

The Force whispered to him that they would need to work expediently. He walked over to the central mainframe. His manner and tone became short and perfunctory.

"Go to the lead computer and wait for me to start the system."

Padmé nodded and sat in the plush chair in front of the computer. Her manner was as his. They were in team-mode now, and they would be in-sync.

Anakin appraised the hard drive and scanned the equipment for any irregularities. Then, he closed his eyes and willed the machines to ready.

"It's on, Anakin."

"Good." He stepped over to stand behind her and looked at the monitor. A binary language he didn't understand appeared.

"Great," he muttered with sarcasm. "I should have thought of a way to get Threepio and Artoo in here."

"Artoo is recognized as yours. It would have been impossible to get him here," Padmé reminded him. "You built Threepio, darling. Can't you…?"

"They were existing cells and chips I lifted…_requisitioned_ from Watto's and plugged into Threepio, angel. I can build the computers. Doesn't mean I know zip about designing their programs. Corporal mechanics, I can do. Fixing them. _This_ is your forte."

"This box appears like most program implementations. It needs a password."

"And were Threepio gracing us with his presence now, this would be when he chimes in that the odds against us getting the password correct the first time are utterly immeasurable, right?"

"Yes, but he'd mean well."

"I have similar excuses for Artoo when he flubs it in front of Master." He sighed. "See what you can do. Start with general senate terms."

"Ani, we cannot just type in endless amounts of words. Palpatine was smart. If we fail in a certain number of attempts, the system will almost certainly shut down and remain locked. Hacking the mainframe would require more time we don't have. Eventually the troopers are going to do perform their rounds and we'll be discovered."

He was silent. She was right. They could not afford to screw this up. What could the password be? The possibilities were vast. There were programmers and forensic technicians hired by the Senate working on it. It could take them years to discover the means of understanding all Palpatine had planned.

Was it Senate related? Would Palpatine risk this discovery by the Senate, having the systems impounded and his network brought up for all the worlds to see? No. It could not have been something governmental.

Perhaps it more personal. What could he have used that was so deeply precious to him that it signified all he wished to gain? Anakin mentally checked off a list—unlimited power, revenge against the Jedi, and…

The Force vibrated and he felt it crackling in the air around him, pure energy. He saw it. He saw Palpatine at this computer, his neatly manicured fingers over the keys. The words appeared on the monitor. He knew that name.

A Sith Lord. A feared, immoral machine with no conscience, no mercy. No anything. It was the name of a pathetic, sad man who had lost everything he had held dear, the name of a man who had forfeit the love of his life.

Anakin's jaw hardened. He stood straighter and crossed his arms over his chest. His tone was unaffected when he spoke again. "Try 'Darth Vader'."

Padmé sharply looked up at him. His expression was mild. He had told her about that Sith name just days ago. "All right, darling."

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the moment. In no time at all, he heard his wife say, "We're in."


	34. Like A Hurricane

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Any errors and omissions are my responsibility in this alternate universe story.

Chapter Thirty-Four- Like A Hurricane

_Another mistake. Asajj had left Kenobi alone on Rattatak to answer her master's summons. She had arrived within an appropriate amount of time only to discover that he was gone. _

_Ventress stepped along the marble walkway into the garden. It was a shame she could not appreciate the lush fauna and sweet-smelling flora. Dooku had not lost his extravagant tastes. His lifestyle was uncharacteristic of a powerful Sith Lord in the historic, academic sense. Her master insisted on the most elaborate of everything—fine food, aged wine, rich textiles and art. Such things were wasted on her. She had not the eye for beauty. _

_Her lack of palate for aesthetics was yet another thing for Dooku to fault her. _

_"Dooku will never find you worthy, Asajj."_

_Ventress turned to find Siri Tachi sitting at the Koi fountain. Her gaze zeroed in on her rival's swollen eyes and wet cheeks—clear evidence of some petty emotional distress. _

_"Master had an urgent matter to attend," Siri confirmed. "I'm sorry he took you from your…whatever…for nothing."_

_It suddenly occurred to her that it may not have been Dooku to call her to Vjun. _

_"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Isn't the Chancellor expecting you?"_

_Tachi ignored that and said, "I do not insult you. I simply believe your life would be much easier if you understood that." _

_Siri pushed herself upright with a weary sigh. "Neither of us will ever be worthy by Master Tyranus' standards."_

_"Then why do you remain?"_

_The Dark Jedi seemed to weigh her words carefully. "I have much to learn."_

_"As your tears indicate. You are a miserable weakling, Tachi. You have no business here."_

_"Why do you say that? What makes me so different from you? I seek power. So do you. I seek retribution, as you have equally demonstrated a thirst. Why am I weak but you are strong?"_

_"You can ask me that in your present state? I know why you weep as you do. You are in pain." _

_Ventress closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled perversely. "You weep for_ Kenobi."

_"Yes," Siri whispered. "I do."_

_The remarkable wealth of kindness and honesty in that response made Ventress' eyes snap open. The gentleness was far from expected._

_"Another weakness," Siri shrugged, smiling._

_Her manner infuriated Ventress. "Fool. By now you must know he is lost."_

_"No, Asajj. He lives, but he suffers. And I don't know why."_

_"Kenobi is dead." _Or will be_, she silently amended. _

_"You are very adamant about that." _

_Ventress did not move as Siri stepped closer, their stares locked on one another. _

_Tachi remained serene as she spoke. "That walker exploded, but Obi-Wan was not on it."_

_"You should not clutch false hope, Siri," Ventress mocked. "It makes you sloppy."_

_Siri stopped an arm's length away from her. "That may be, or perhaps it will make me stronger."_

_Ventress scoffed her impatience. "You are blinded by sentiment for that fool! And you think to be a Sith apprentice? You should be grateful for the demise of his worthless life."_

_Siri didn't miss a beat. Her anguish was palpable. "His loss would be mine, and _my_ life would indeed mean nothing. It is my right to demolish my attachment to him. No one else. I thought you would help me find him."_

_"Help you? Help you to _chase a ghost_? To what purpose?"_

_"Keep him safe, of course. You seem to think his death makes you more attractive to our master. It doesn't. Nothing we do is comparable in Dooku's eyes to Obi-Wan. I have no delusions as to why I am here. Neither do you. We are nothing to him but the means to Obi-Wan. Master does not believe he is dead any more than I do, and it is you who should be grateful, Asajj."_

_"Really?" Ventress sarcastically muttered. "Do tell."_

_"Dooku would not be amused at a Jedi's murder if that Jedi was Obi-Wan. Oh, no. He would not think well of the person who robbed him of his prize, and even Sidious would not be able to contain him."_

_Ventress was irked by her inability to mask her surprise. So Tachi knew of the true master of the Dark Side. "Sidious?"_

_Tachi was not gloating as she answered, "You cannot conceal your thoughts any more than I can my own. Why try? But as I was saying, Dooku would hunt the culprit. As would I."_

_"A Sith would never mourn a Jedi's death."_

_"Mourn? No. Avenge it? Certainly. Look who hasn't kept up with her studies."_

_"You embarrass yourself, Tachi."_

_"It is the way of the Force, Asajj. You know that. The Sith destroy the Jedi and vice versa. The battle between the light and the dark is ours. Would _you_ want to bested by a layperson?"_

_Siri raised up on her toes, and Ventress did not flinch. Their breaths mingled. _

_"Obi-Wan's essence is strong, Asajj," Siri rasped, her gaze disturbingly seductive. "Help me. Help yourself. Let's go find him."_

_"You dream." She sidestepped the petite pest and put distance between them._

_Siri did not follow and kept her back to her. Ventress felt her frustration but, strangely, nothing else. _

_"Very well," Siri sighed. _

_"You are not only weak but now you're stupid," Ventress spat. "Dooku would only keep you so long as he believes you may bring him Kenobi. You cannot hide your feelings. What do you think he will do to you when he accepts that you are no longer any use to him or discovers you are nothing but a spy for the Galactic Senate? Whichever comes first."_

_There was no reaction to the accusation, and Ventress frowned. Sorrow returned to Tachi, and she felt it like a saber in her own chest. _

_"'There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength'," Siri softly recited the line from the Code of the Sith. "What you believe to be my weakness, Master will see as my greatest asset."_

_Asajj could barely hear what she said next._

_"'I must love what I destroy, and destroy what I love'"._

_It was a quote from the ancient book of the Sith. The Dark Side was seductive because of its very simple dictates that one could not fight their true nature, and there was no real reason to do so. Passion led to power, power to freedom. The ability to create utter devastation was a decidedly wicked passion. _

_Siri turned, her expression void of further emotion. "I have nothing to lose. But I will tell you that whatever means of disposal Dooku could use on me will be nothing compared to what I will do to you, Ventress, if what I suspect is true."_

_"I'm quivering with fright, little one," she scorned. _

_"If Obi-Wan dies, Asajj," Siri replied calmly. "It will be _your_ life ruled worthless. You haven't begun to see the depth of my talents. There is not a rock in all the galaxy that could hide you from me."_

_The pungent aroma of blossoms wafted in the air with the light breeze. Ventress truly felt Siri then—her anger, her fear, the aggression. The night grew darker despite the full moons. _

_"Sith." She murmured. _

_Siri bowed cordially and said, "Good night, Asajj."_

_Ventress watched her leave the garden and leave her alone to brood on the warning._

†

"Something is wrong." Siri glared into the distance. There were no changes in the Force, and that is what disturbed her. She did not like this waiting at all. It was not about her impatience. Someone was deliberately shading their perceptions. Whoever he was, he had great power if he could prevent Yoda from seeing him.

"Anakin should have contacted me by now."

Yoda watched her pace. "What he does, time-consuming it is. If something in the bunker to find, find it he will. Time, we must give him."

Puzzled, Siri pursed her lips. A bizarre warmth passed through her. Nonsensical given the vibrations of threat. It pulled her, but the pull was faint. Brow furrowed, Siri turned her gaze away from the sun to the right of 500 Republica and in the direction of Galactic City Prison.

"Master," she said quietly. "It was supposed to be uncomplicated. Anakin and I thought we could use Obi-Wan's assignment as a diversion. He would go to the bunker and hack into Palpatine's systems, and I would be look-out. Dishonest, sure. But now…there is definitely someone out there."

"Where?"

"I do not know who it is, much less where he is."

"Sense a trap, do you?"

"I'm not sure."

Yoda looked at the ground, pushing his gimmer stick back and forth as if bored. "Clear your mind, mistress. At peace, you be. Think it through."

Siri concentrated on her breathing and relaxed. She felt the warmth flood her. It filled her with empathic grace. Then as quickly as it had come, it was replaced by an intense heat that made her skin itch.

"I do sense a trap," she told him, flexing her fingers, closing her eyes.

He mumbled his assessment. "Yes…but for who? Anakin, or us?"

It was a few moments before she heard it—blaster fire, wild shouts, the sound of running footsteps. Her heartbeat accelerated as in her mind she could see the chaos, the plumes of smoke.

Siri gasped, choking off her panic. "Obi-Wan."

Yoda remained impassive but stated, "Wait for Anakin, we must."

She looked back to him, dismayed.

"Obi-Wan...Need your help, you cannot know for certain. Wait for Anakin, as you promised."

"Master, this isn't one of our trials. Anakin went to the bunker for personal reconnaissance…"

_Ventress shoved Obi-Wan back to the ground._

"Obi-Wan…Ventress means to _kill_ him!"

"Sure of that, are you?" He finally raised his eyes. "Trust, do not, visions of the future. Your perceptions…clouded, they are."

Breathing hard, she glanced again to the east.

She tapped a three-digit code into her the COMM-link on her wrist. A second later, Han's image appeared. "Report, young one."

Yoda's eyes widened with disbelief. She didn't need to look to know they did.

The boy was as nonchalant as ever. "Quiet as a tomb, boss."

_Bad analogy, kid_. She shook her head. "Where is Ventress?"

Static muffled his answer somewhat. "…Shield…Up…I can't get a good look at the joint. I saw Generals Kenobi and Ackbar with her and the guards on the breezeway…Disappeared underground."

"Han, alert me to any glitches. Han? _Han_?"

He grinned at her with his usual charm. "Of course."

She wished _she_ could be so cavalier. "But should something happen, you are to stay where you are. Do you understand?"

His answer was broken, but she persevered. "I mean it. You do not—I repeat—_do not_ interfere."

Now he did look petulant. "I got it covered, Siri."

"Be careful, Han."

"Will do. Solo out."

The crackled reception closed. Yoda was glaring painful darts of admonishment at her back, and Siri sighed.

So much for keeping the part of Obi-Wan's surveillance to herself. She waved her hands in surrender.

"You know me, Master." A poor excuse, but the only one she had.

Yoda humphed again.

_Obi-Wan howled with the shot to his leg._

"What will you do, Siri?"

It was a flesh wound. She could see that. Her love was…miffed but not debilitated.

Siri grit her teeth. "Wait for Ani."

Yoda was right. She could not trust her feelings right now. There was a trap. She knew it. The diversion was the trap. They had a new enemy, and he had read her and Anakin completely undetected. She would not spring it. She could not without an assurance Anakin and Padmé would remain unharmed. She had no choice but to continue waiting.

And no choice but to trust the Force to guide them. There was nothing but faith.

Siri's resolve sprang anew. "We wait for Anakin."

Pleased, Yoda nodded.

†

The shouts of madness grew louder as they drew closer to her new home. The muffled sound of pounding on padded doors could also be heard. The slew of insults against guards, the warden and anyone else the prisoners could think of would have made her smile were she not about to become of them.

Ventress supposed it was fitting to come to this end. This chapter of betrayal, this epilogue to her life of loss to come full-circle. She was certain of her fate. Embracing it brought to her a sense of well-being she had never known before in her life. She could not name it. She was clear on what she was to do when the time came, and she was ready.

She would be free. She would finally be free. She would achieve both her immortality and that one last Sith, oh-so-necessary act of revenge.

She glanced at Kenobi's stoic-features as the group entered the stairwell leading downstairs to solitary lock-up.

If he had given any consideration to what she had said earlier, he gave no indication of it.

They reached the energy shield separating the vestibule from the penned seditionists. Her lips curled in a smirk. She could feel Gunray simmering with the knowledge that both she and her illustrious escort had arrived.

_Sniveling little pustule_.

Ventress had been kept in the dark to the underhanded dealings between her masters and the Trade Federation. The greedy and loathsome paper-pushing, numbers-crunchers were inherently irrelevant. Mere tools to Lord Sidious' designs. That they would be betrayed was a given, as any being with remote intelligence could have discerned. It amazed her that there were still some who did not understand the full-scope of power the Sith held.

Poggle…Shu Mai…San Hill…Haako…All of the viceroy's incompetent colleagues were also present.

_It's good to keep friends together_…

The gate guards stood at attention when the group reached them. Obi-Wan watched Burek place his hand over an electromagnetic board and the energy field was deactivated. They stepped in unison down the hall to a sliding door at the end.

"Here it is," Warden Burek declared. "Her cell."

Obi-Wan peered inside the dismal space. It was only marginally larger than the refresher in his room at Temple and that was no exaggeration. One long lumiere panel was bolted to the ceiling. The only things to occupy the eight-by-eight feet room was the reliever in the far left corner and the sleep pad on the floor against the right wall. Since she would await her trial in this room, there could be nothing in it she could use for escape or personal injury.

No matter her past, Obi-Wan pitied her.

_You shouldn't_, her thoughts told him. _At least I get a room. You get a cot in the hall._

He shook his head. He would not have to spend the rest of his life here.

_Neither will I. _

Obi-Wan placed his hand on her back to lead her inside. A gust of trepidation made him instinctively step back and away from the door jamb.

"General Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan looked up at his ally. "Ackbar, this is a Force-Sensitive cell."

It was difficult to know if the Mon-Calamarian was frowning. They turned to the warden, questioningly.

Burek remained sober. "Of course it is. You could hardly expect that we would hold a Sith Lord in our midst without protecting ourselves against the possibility of her escape."

"You were given no such order for its construction by Chancellor Organa," Ackbar quietly fumed. "Master Kenobi is to be in charge of her, as you are utterly aware. This is completely without merit."

"Chancellor Organa depends on me to make modifications where I see fit, General Ackbar," Burek declared confidently. "If you dispute that, feel free to take it up with him."

Obi-Wan placed his hand on Ackbar's arm to keep him still. He watched Burek, intently and perfectly calm. "It's all right, General. I will be camped here in the hall."

"I will have to take your lightsaber, General Kenobi," Burek informed him and held out his hand for the weapon.

Ackbar spoke again on Obi-Wan's behalf. "That is also not a condition of the Senate's mandate, Warden."

"It is for his own protection, General Ackbar."

"Against whom? Ventress will be powerless. There is no one else to pose a threat to him. Who here would dare to attack a Jedi Master?"

"Why now, Warden Burek?" Obi-Wan inquired mildly. "She, as well as the others, has been within reach of it since we landed outside."

He felt Ventress stiffen at his back. She was trembling with energy.

_Don't do it, Obi-Wan. There is something amiss here. _

It was her use of his given name minus the hateful spin she always used with his last, that made him listen. Through hooded eyes, he noted that there was something different about the warden. Burek's entire demeanor had changed. His once naturally upturned lips were flat, and the lines around his eyes marking that his life was a happy one had vanished. His irises carried an unnatural blue hue.

Ackbar leaned toward him. "What is it, Master Kenobi?"

The tone of Burek's voice turned throaty. He kept his hand out. "Your weapon, General."

Obi-Wan stared deeper into his eyes. There was definite challenge in the man and absolute peril.

This man was not Warden Burek.

"Oh, I don't think so," Obi-Wan finally breathed.

"Guards," not-Burek called. "Change the General's mind."

Burek's men closed in around Obi-Wan, Ventress, and Ackbar. Their own clone troopers were waiting, unaware, outside, and on the opposite side of the complex.

The trio was outnumbered. Obi-Wan's gaze darted to each guard, measuring his chances. He could take them he knew, but not without risking the safety of his prisoner and General Ackbar. The section guards would sound the alarm, and more men would come to stop their exit. They would be fighting against incredible odds and would still have to make their way to the courtyard through the labyrinth that had led them here.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered.

Ventress gazed at him with something akin to patience. "I thought you might."

Stunned immobile, the guards that edged the warden were not quite sure what they saw, so fast were the Jedi's movements. He had, in a single blur, ignited his weapon, broke all of the Sith's shackles, leapt up into the air and brutally kicked the guards at their boss' sides square on their chests. They fell back against their comrades, toppling them like dominoes.

Obi-Wan grabbed Ventress' numb arm and yelled to Ackbar over the alarm that began screaming overhead. "Grab a blaster and stay at her back!"

Guards were coming from all directions as they began to run. Right into them.

Obi-Wan sought to make the men understand that he was not the enemy. Burek's condition was something he had not seen coming. That had been an absolute possession. Something inside him ticked that it was not Ventress' doing. There was another villain at work here, and his presence was going to end-up getting many innocent people killed.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" He shouted over the sound of blasters. "We don't wish to harm you!"

He lobbed the pellets into the walls, but their advance was relentless. Obi-Wan could not hear Ackbar shoot back. The methodical flicks of his wrists had his lightsaber continually batting away the blaster shots at him, redirecting them into the floor, the ceiling...until there was nowhere else for the deadly projectiles to go. Some guards fell dead to the floor from their own shots.

Obi-Wan came to a screeching halt at the entrance. The energy shield was up. He could see the shadows of oncoming forces and pushed Ventress into the corner behind concrete.

"The shield is on a shift-timer!" Ackbar shouted. He positioned himself behind the curved desk and kept firing. "We need Burek's prints to open it!"

Obi-Wan brought his hand up and used the Force. The new set of opposition flew back and hit the wall hard behind them. The shield would capture their fire, but he still needed it to be disengaged. He visually measured the distance between them and warden--still knocked out--down the hall. He looked back at his placid charge, and she shrugged.

Ackbar was saying something into his COMM-link. Certainly he was calling for aid.

Obi-Wan could not trust Ventress alone with the senator. He would have to think of another way out.

Ventress stretched her good arm, the severed fingers twiddling, and Burek flew at them as though ejected from a blaster canon. Obi-Wan ducked, and the poor man hit the console protecting General Ackbar like a ton of bricks. Unfortunately, the destruction of the console detonated the mechanism opening every cell door in the department.

_Perfect_, Obi-Wan mentally bemoaned.

Dismissing it quickly, he grabbed Burek's limp hand and dragged him over to the panel. He slapped the palm on it, and the shield disintegrated. Obi-Wan came out swinging his weapon at the onslaught of defenders.

"Come on!" He pulled Ventress with him, Ackbar at their heels.

As they slowly made it to the stairwell, Ventress could see through the fracas that the ministers of trade and banking had predictably slithered out of their cells like the snakes they were. They meandered through the wreck and carnage, grabbing pistols and blasters in the hopes of escaping with Kenobi and herself.

Ventress pressed closer to Kenobi's trusting back. It had not gone over his head, she knew, that at least one of her skills was completely operational. The look on his face when he narrowly avoided the blow of the airborne Burek had let her see that. And still he sought to guard her. To do his duty.

Her grin was nothing short of superior.

She may have fun with this after all.

†

Husband and wife stubbornly scanned more material until they were both miserable.

Padmé shook her head with frustration. She glared at the monitor. "There is not anything here we have not already read."

Anakin's eyes scanned the words again. "I am not interested in the politics of Sidious' plans for the Empire he would create."

"Then where else can we look?" She swiveled the chair to look at him. "We have opened every file under _Darth Vader_, Anakin."

He absently stroked her cheek. "It has to be here."

"Honey, the lab was scoured. There was not so much as a beaker in sight. Bail reported to the Council that there were no books, no documents of any kind. Not even in the archives."

"He would not have left them out in the open. Not even here where he believed he was safe. I'm missing something, Padmé. It's here. I know it is. I just have to figure out where."

Lost in thought, he stepped away from her. Padmé stood, aching for him. "Anakin…my love, you may never find it."

He met her gaze. "I have to know."

"You are nothing like him, Anakin. You couldn't possibly be his son."

"Padmé, with everything that has happened within the last two weeks, no one can say that with any certainty."

"I can."

Anakin would not argue with her. Her love for him made the circumstance of his conception of no consequence. That love would exist regardless of the truth, but it was crucial for him that he know. If he was the product of dark genetics, he had to understand them. Only in doing so, could he make certain that none of the lethal traits ever touched him, Padmé, the twins. Or anyone else they cared about.

"Sidious explained to me that the Sith had the power to stop death. If he could be believed, then it was also possible that they could create life."

"You believe he sought to clone himself."

"Yes. Don't forget that it was he who posed as Master Sifo-Dyas to commission the Kaminos to create a clone army."

"But did he have the means to accomplish that for himself?"

"I think he would have done whatever he had to in order to ensure a Sith line."

"Okay." Padmé whispered. She could see that he would not be swayed to let it go. He would remain in the horrible bunker until he found something useful, and she would stay with him. "Then we are looking for…"

"Records. Formulas. A scientific journal. Anything to give us an indication that he may have succeeded in engineering a replica or even a substitute of himself."

"Oh, this will be easy." Padmé sat back down and returned to the computer.

He leaned over her and rested his chin on her shoulder as she typed. "I guess it's too much to hope for that there will be a passage reading, 'Dear Diary'."

She smiled. "I could run a basic search for keywords—equations."

"It's another start."

He tenderly kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Padmé."

"It's important to you," she sweetly replied. "That makes it important to me."

He straightened, clearing his throat. "I'll check for the troopers."

"Ani?"

He stopped at the stairwell. "Yes?"

"You told me about the opera, and I know what think. But have you ever considered that—if he had succeeded—if not you, then…"

"Sidious was successful in many things," he interrupted. "All of which were heinous. If not me, then there is another man out there with dark potential."

"Man?" She eyed him with curiosity. "How can you be certain it is a male?"

Anakin didn't know how to explain something he could not define himself. "Feelings, more than anything else. Vibrations."

He turned his hand of flesh palm-up. His fingers splayed and twitched. "I can feel his aura."

"Then it couldn't be you, Anakin," she said, relief softening her eyes. "You could not feel yourself in the Force third-person."

He thought of the spiteful dragon inside of him currently sleeping. He remembered how he felt when he slew Sidious. He had carried that hatred to Mustafar. The struggle between his rational self and that of the monster had been excruciating. Nearly every particle of his subconscious had begged him to slaughtered the wretched scum who hid on that dreadful planet like the vermin they are.

Then there had been calm. Anakin wanted to believe that it was his true nature that had made him stop. He was good. He was kind. The angry boy he had been had finally grown into a decent, compassionate man. He still had much to learn, but he had won that particular battle. Anakin did. And now the dragon was reposed.

But he still wouldn't take any chances. Especially today.

It had been more than Siri's feelings that had awakened him earlier. There was something happening in the Force. He had not let it distract him. He needed his wits about him to bring his wife to this bunker. The tremors were unrelenting, but his focus would remain right here.

Sometimes the tremors in the Force to warn of something were very difficult to bear when the object of said warning was unnamed and faceless. It was like trying to track a storm with no map. He hoped that this gamble of stumbling into the lion's lair would provide him the coordinates he needed.

He tried to smile for her. "All right. I forfeit. I can't quarrel with you."

Padmé knew better. "You want proof."

"Preferably, yes. I need something tangible, Padmé. Something I can see, touch. This cannot be something I take on faith. If another Sith exists, we—and by that I mean the Republic, the Jedi—need evidence."

She appeared to consider that and agree. She'd had enough deception to last a lifetime. She was tired of all the fighting that came with it. They had all suffered enough. He was right. They had to finish this.

Anakin turned away to look up the stairs. "I don't see anyone. We may have some more time."

Padmé wet her lips. She shook off her misgivings and tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, since you are so determined to work," she began jovially. "I am glad you chose this and didn't argue for the other."

He paced along the wall, looking at the array of blank holovids attached. "The other?"

She was still typing as she replied, "I had thought you would have tried to convince the Council to let you shepherd Ventress to prison in Obi-Wan's stead."

He inattentively followed the patterned etchings on the wall with his fingers. "The Council wants to prove a point to him. He needs to reconcile with what he almost did to Ventress. It's his mission to complete."

She didn't even glance up from the monitor when she called his bluff. "The Council didn't go for your offer."

Unabashed, he conceded. "No. No, they didn't."

"I am curious about how he and Siri managed to stay away from each other as long as they did."

"That's easy. If we were researching two of the most insufferably stubborn people in the galaxy, their faces would illuminate that screen faster than we could say, 'we've found them'."

She chuckled. "Can you imagine what their lives will be like once Ventress' trial is over?"

"Happy, I hope."

"I know, but you will have to admit. They should be…fascinating to watch."

"We're going on holiday, Padmé. We won't have to watch them for some time."

"Anakin!" she chided with indignation. "We can't miss their wedding."

"No," he murmured. He suddenly realized there was something very familiar about the designs he was following. He recognized the grooves.

"Do you think the Jedi will allow the wedding to be a grand affair?"

He glanced at her. She wore such a look of romantic hope that he grinned. "I don't think _Master _and_ Siri_ would allow it to be a grand affair."

She didn't like that prospect he could tell. "It has to be. It will be the first utterly sanctioned wedding for the Jedi."

Anakin gave her a mock frown. "_We're_ sanctioned."

"We were sanctioned five days ago not when we did it." She went back to her work. "I'll talk to Siri when we return to Temple. I'll ask her what she wants to do."

She met his knowing gaze undeterred by the twinkle of caution. "I am curious. That's all."

"Curious?" he snorted with mirth, stepping back to get a broader view of the wall. "That's a pretty way of saying 'nosy'."

"You think I'm nosy?"

"I _know_ you're nosy."

"What makes you say that?"

His gaze started at the top and along the ceiling. "Everything you've ever done since the day I walked into your living area for the first time three years ago."

It was his tone more than the words that perturbed her. "Well, that is not a very nice thing to say."

"It's true."

This time, the concession was hers. "Yes, but it still isn't very nice."

Anakin studied the lines…the orbs, the wide arcs of the composition. There were distinct symbols of the Jedi and of the Sith. Enthralled, he took two more steps backward and the sight before him became the picture of a perfectly ornate and sophisticated record of the known galaxies.

"Force," he whispered in awe. "It's a map."

This was not something done on a whim to decorate with elaborate style and taste. This was Palpatine's timeline.

Anakin felt his lips curve. He turned a slow three-hundred and sixty degrees and truly saw everything he needed to know, and it had been right in front of their faces the entire time.

Padmé looked up from the computer and saw the expression on his face. "Ani? What is it?"

A ghastly shadow bled into the room from the corridor of the archives, and Padmé gasped.

Anakin's lightsaber was on before he'd completely snapped out of his reverie, and he spun on his heels to face the intruder.

"Yes, _Ani_?" The shadow asked, "What is it?"

An astonishing wave of malevolence washed over Anakin like a slow- burn. It felt like…

_Sidious_.

The cloaked and hooded figure floated into the room, and the snap-hiss of his weapon could be heard as the blood-red length of the blade appeared.

With a cry, Anakin Force-leapt over the desk—his lightsaber extended.

Padmé dove for safety with a yelp. She made herself stand and watched as her husband defended himself against a lightning-quick attack.

"Padmé!" he grunted between parries. "_Run_!"

She took off around the desk and the shadow croaked, "No, Padmé. Stay awhile."

With the brisk shove of his hand, she was lifted off the ground by pure air and tossed the short distance between the desk and the exit.

Anakin frantically reached out with the Force to catch her before she crashed to the floor, but he felt his nemesis push against it. Padmé hit the wall. Unconscious and her body limp, she slid to the ground.

His roar of grief was so wrenching, it was soundless. He glared at his opponent with unparalleled loathing.

"I'm going to _butcher_ you!" he spat vehemently and charged his quarry.

The shadow laughed lustily as their blades crossed, and the demented ring of it echoed in the hollow room.


	35. In A Hand Basket

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Any errors and omissions are my responsibility in this alternate universe story.

Chapter Thirty-Five- In A Hand-Basket

There were alarms trumpeting disaster all over Galactic City, but Han Solo was only aware of one.

He hurriedly punched the necessary three-digits into the COMM link on his wrist. "Siri? Siri, do you copy?"

He heard the shouts of the Clone Troopers awaiting General Ackbar's return. He saw the signal that they were going to storm into the facility. With his eyes huge, he watched them adjust the blaster cannon of their ship in the direction of the entry.

Han rolled his eyes.

The explosion at the gate to the prison rocked the Level. Han ducked on the floor of the neighboring rooftop and covered his head against the flying debris.

What the hell were they doing down there? They were going to blow everyone to kingdom come!

Coughing out the dust in his lungs, Han made another attempt to follow orders. "Solo to Tachi! Siri, can you hear me?"

He waited a moment. There was still nothing. "Siri, Kenobi in trouble!"

The shouts below became muffled against the increasing number of blaster fire within the prison's walls, and Han groaned, "I repeat, Kenobi in _big_ trouble! Siri? _Siri_!"

Han yelled and stomped his feet to vent his frustration. _Now_ what was he supposed to do? The woman had distinctly told him to contact her with any problems, and she was nowhere to be found.

Blast!

He paced the roof muttering to himself. "Get to Kenobi, she said. Contact me. Stay where you are, she said. Blah, blah, blah."

If he didn't do something—and fast—Kenobi was going to be worm food.

_Stay where you are_, Siri had commanded.

Han had a decision to make. He could stand here as instructed and wait for help that may never come, or he could follow his gut, go in there, and pull out Kenobi.

He took a moment to seriously reflect on how much that Jedi meant to Siri. To be so close to her fondest dream coming true only to lose him _here_? The idea of it was enough to give Han the answer he wanted.

He was running before he'd even finished the thought.

♦

The Jedi Knights of the Republic were not immune to moments of inner conflict. Those were weaknesses that not even those rich with life from the Force could even escape. Sometimes it was difficult not to resent the burden of their births. The practice of teachings were not always clearly defined in opposition to the calamities that nature could dish, and often the line between good and bad was shaky and blurred.

The number of those instances were unfortunately not few and far between these days. Siri Tachi knew that Anakin Skywalker had much more experience with that than any good man deserved to be cast.

She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes forlornly.

"It's happening again."

"Skywalker, tested he is not," Yoda replied. "Angry, he is. This Sith, not a Sith. Your suspicions true, they are."

"This is the last time I do anything without consulting you and the Council, Master," she sighed. "I promise."

"Make not a promise you cannot keep, Siri. Demean you, it will."

Siri tensed at the image of an explosion at the prison. Her breath hissed between her teeth. Her COMM link remained silent, and she again tried to reach Han.

"Tachi to Solo. Come in, Han."

Siri frowned, beginning to worry. Han should have reported. "Master, I cannot reach Han."

Yoda checked the panel of their ship and looked at the instruments. He frowned as well. "Our instruments are down."

R2-D2 whirled and beeped excitedly. Siri looked at her master.

"Do you understand what he is trying to tell us?"

Yoda's eyes widened. "A magnetic field, scrambling our communications."

That would explain why she had also not heard from Padmé when she and Anakin were surprised in the bunker.

_Wow_, Siri thought. Their new pain in the neck had certainly been thorough.

She and Yoda were hovering aboard his ship in midair with the possibility they would not be able to land without Force assistance.

Siri sighed and looked up as though to the Force and uttered sarcastically, "Anything else to go wrong?"

"Stop that," Yoda admonished. "Still Jedi we are. Do what we can, we shall."

"So in which direction are we going to float?"

"Decide that, you will. Whom do you think requires us more? Kenobi, or Anakin?"

The visions succeeded each other rapidly in her mind: Obi-Wan injured and surrounded, Anakin furiously swinging his lightsaber in vehement attack.

_Not attack, Ani_, she silently pleaded. _Defense, _not_ offense._

The decision was a simple one.

"Get us as close to the bunker as possible."

Wordlessly, Yoda turned the ship around.

♦

The Jedi Master's steps were made at a normal pace down the hall in Temple leading to the younglings' living quarters. The disturbance had been strong enough to lead him here. He doubted anyone in Coruscant could close their hearing to the noise.

He stopped at the doorway of the nursery. Inside, Bant Eerin held the girl close to her chest, trying to soothe the infant. Young Knight Corcoran did the like with the boy.

They both appeared to be quite out of their element and at a complete loss.

The Skywalker twins continued to wail like banshees. The two adults saw him watching them. Bant paid no heed to his stony countenance, but the Knight did and looked appropriately shame-faced.

"Master!" Bant called. "They just started crying for no reason. We tried feeding them, and they spat at us. We changed their nappies, and they still are not satisfied. I don't know what else to do!"

He looked on the babies with utter patience. "They sense their father's annoyance. It is distressing them."

Startled, Bant looked down at Leia's squished-red face. "They can sense…_already_?"

"Of course. You were probably the same way only you do not carry the memory of it."

Corcoran's expression was filled with concern. "You said their father's annoyance, Master. Is Master Skywalker in danger?"

His sharp and steely gaze fixed on the knight. "I wonder, padawan. What do _you_ think?"

Corcoran bowed his head, and the Jedi Master instructed, "Bant, leave them to Cin's care. You will be needed in Med Center."

"What about me, Master?"

Corcoran looked absolutely thrilled to face an assignment—any assignment—that would allow him to be free of the Skywalker twins' mad crying. The master almost took pity on him.

Almost. As it was, Knight Corcoran had willingly accepted responsibility of them in order to assist Tachi and Skywalker in their covert plans. He would have to be taught the lesson of what happened when you chose to aid a mystery than to follow the guidance of Jedi Council.

"You will remain here and assist Master Dralig with whatever he needs," the master told him. "We will discuss further your part in this debacle when I return, Knight Corcoran. Is that clear?"

Corcoran absently stroked Luke's head with a gentle hand. "Yes, Master Windu."

Pleased with the boy's ready acquiescence, Mace turned around to address Aayla Secura's padawan whom had accompanied him to the nursery.

"I want you to alert your master to what is happening, padawan," he instructed her. "She will know what to do. And keep it quiet."

"Yes, Master." She bowed. "Where may I explain you are going?"

Mace thought of Anakin, and it filled him with a fair resolve. He would pay the debt he owed.

He told the girl, "I go to help a friend. If I can. Go. Do as I said."

The girl fled down the hall, and Mace entered the lift.

He was off to the bunker.

♦

Han crawled through the ventilation system. Any awareness that they may have had of his break-in would be disguised by the anarchy. He'd had to rely on memory for his sense of direction. If he could get to the warden's office, he could get sufficiently within the prison to avoid any nasty confrontations with its guards. Just in case, he had set his blaster to stun.

No need to give anyone reason to make him a permanent resident when this was finished.

He would have to remember to thank Senator Amidala later. If not for her volunteering him for construction duty in the Public Works department of Galactic Senate, he would not be able to help their friend now.

He peered through the next mesh plate and noted that he had arrived. He grunted with the exertion of trying to move in the cramped space. He picked up the plate and pushed himself through.

He could have gone undetected. _If_ he had landed on his feet. Instead he came down crashing, head first, to the floor.

"Ow!" he shouted and was immediately beset by two guards stampeding through the closed door.

"Freeze!"

Belly on the floor, Han looked up and quickly put his gun-toting hands awkwardly in the air. "Don't shoot; I'm just a kid!"

They lowered their guns, and Han aimed haphazardly and pulled the trigger before they could raise their weapons again. They fell down, unharmed and out of his way.

He pushed himself to his feet and spared them an apologetic glance. He finished his earlier sentence. "A kid who fights dirty. Sorry, pals."

He peered out the door, saw that the coast was clear and ran over to the security monitors lining a single wall. It wasn't difficult to pinpoint Kenobi's location. Han could see him along with General Ackbar fighting their way out of the west wing. The Sith was sandwiched between them, back to back.

He noticed a light blinking red under the monitor for solitary confinement and saw that the cell doors were opened. Prisoners were escaping in the ruckus. He recognized the members of the Trade Federation, watched them gathering weapons and follow the Jedi's lead.

"Great, Obi-Wan," he muttered. "You let the animals out."

Did the man think he needed further challenge?

"Central Command, report!"

Han jumped back, startled by the board COMM. He glanced back and forth unsure of himself.

"Central, do you copy?"

Han stepped over to the first guard and plucked his COMM from his belt.

"Er, uh, Central Command secure. Over."

"What is happening?"

"Uh, prisoner, er, insurrection in the west wing. Over."

"Smith, are you all right over there?"

Han glanced back and saw Obi-Wan heading into the breezeway, guards swarming him from every direction.

_Uh oh_.

"Uh, all's fine here. Don't worry…Er, how are you?"

"Smith, we're coming over…"

"No!" Han shouted quickly. "The members of the Trade Federation are escaping. Stop firing on the Jedi and go after them!"

"Yes, sir!"

Han looked again at the monitor and saw at least three troops veer in the opposite direction of Obi-Wan. He pulled a chair out and sat down at the controls. He glanced around the panel. When he found what he needed, he pressed the button to deactivate the energy field at the front gate. He looked up and watched General Ackbar's men race successfully inside.

"Okay," he whispered. His adrenaline pumped.

Another explosion shook the prison. Han grabbed hold of the console to keep from falling out of his seat. He looked at the screen again and saw Obi-Wan pinned by a fallen pillar. He couldn't get up, and the Sith stood over him…free as a bird and with access to his lightsaber. General Ackbar had been blown into the grassy yard below. He lay motionless.

Han's usual cavalier demeanor was replaced with a genuine fear and he yelled unheard for his assignment. "Obi-Wan!"

His heart began to race. Ventress was now crouching over her captor.

Han shouted with helplessness, "_Get_ _up_, Kenobi!"

He reset his gun and ran out into hell.

♦

This was her chance. This was her last chance to escape to freedom. She could take the remaining guards. She could leave the Jedi here to rot. She looked down at him. His lightsaber laid several feet away as he struggled to free himself of the concrete.

There was blaster fire everywhere, and she crouched down beside him. She could hear new shouting in the distance and the distinctive clap of the Clone Troopers booted feet hitting the pavement at a run.

"Stay down, Ventress!"

Asajj narrowly missed a shot to her head. She plastered herself on the ground beside him and stared at him in wonder.

Kenobi was still thinking of her safety. Even now, helpless, he thought to protect her instead of himself. He was pinned to the ground, his prized weapon out of his reach, and he still gave no thought to his own weak position.

This man would be a constant enigma to her. She glanced sharply to their left when she heard Neimoidian shouts.

Her gaze narrowed with ire.

_Gunray_.

Ventress contemplated the pillar. "On my word, Kenobi, push yourself forward."

Obi-Wan looked at her with suspicion. He felt for his lightsaber, and it flew into his hand. "Don't even think it, Ventress."

She snapped with impatience. "You have a choice, Kenobi. You can remain this way—a sitting duck—or you can accept my aid. Your Clone Troopers are here, but they are still several yards away with armed prisoners quickly gaining on you. What will you do?"

She heard her name called in that silly fish accent and had to dip again against the blaster fire.

_Idiots! Did they truly think they could get anywhere? _

"Never mind," she muttered testily. "I'll do it without you."

She raised her hand and with a speed Obi-Wan truly appreciated, the pillar lifted and crashed down the path. He groaned as pushed himself to his feet.

She marveled at his ability to stand and could not suppress the sarcasm. "Nothing ever does really bring you down, does it?"

It was sheer will keeping him upright, but he would never tell her that. "I'm full of surprises. Where's Ackbar?"

"He's fine. We have to move, Kenobi. You're vulgarian friends in the Trade Federation hope to exact some revenge on us. We must hurry."

Obi-Wan batted off another wave of fire. "Why didn't you run?"

"I thought of it."

"And?"

"Would you believe my remaining an act of altruism?"

"No."

"I thought not. Very well. I would never make it past the troops outside without you. Happy?"

He grew busy again in their defense, and Ventress pressed herself to his back.

She allowed him to control the situation though she knew she could have made it more difficult for him. She distanced herself from what was happening to recall the only moments in her life when she felt…

Something. Anything other than the hatred that predominated her.

She remembered her time with Tachi on Vjun before the so-called transparency of her destiny reached her. She knew now of course that it was all a sham. Tachi had been a spy for the Republic, but she had been on a dual mission.

Tachi tried to bring her to the Light Side of the Force. Whether it was on orders from her dreaded Council or a personal endeavor, Ventress would never know. Her mind spun at all the obvious methods Tachi had used, and she had discarded. Now she took the time to actually consider everything she was ever told of it.

What was it like to be in love? Upon first inspection she didn't think it was altogether pleasant. Tachi had been made miserable by it on Vjun, particularly when it was believed Kenobi had been killed. It was, of course, her fault that it was believed, but that was of little matter now. Tachi had yearned for Kenobi. It was a feeling that had consumed her and made the air heavy around her. It had been patently impossible not to notice it, and therefore it had made knowing her dangerous.

Kenobi was also sick with it. As her prisoner, his features had been concealed under the death-mask she placed over his face, but the aura of his heart had not been so easily hidden. He had agonized over Tachi. He had wanted to see her. Just set his eyes on her again. Ventress had been left utterly confused by it. He did not give many thoughts to how he may escape her. Instead, he would think of Tachi in various stages of their lives, images she could only assume were happy memories.

It was hard to tell of happiness. Ventress had yet to see it bear real fruit. For two people entrenched by codes and spirit-led sacrifices, they each actively participated in an attachment strongly forbidden them. It was as if they were totally necessary to each other's survival. One was tragically helpless without the other. Even with a mutually agreed and voluntary separation. She had always understood that life and happiness were entirely incompatible, much less _love_ and happiness. The issue of their Jedi vows made it even more of an impossibility.

Then she remembered the look on Kenobi's face yesterday. Tachi had fallen over the cliff, and he was…inconsolable. As surely as he guarded her now, he had been fully prepared to slay her where she lay yesterday. His walk on the Dark Side could have been completed in a single act and all because he utterly adored another person. As quick as his turn could have been, it was dissolved the moment Tachi called his name. He had been immediately restored to the Light, and it was then that Ventress had discovered what happiness must have felt like.

Tachi had met her on that salt bed willingly, but she had not truly wanted such a violent confrontation. It had been with genuine sincerity when she said their fates did have to be the way of the damned. Ventress had sensed Tachi's resignation that she would meet her end.

It was bizarre that she would believe so considering she had Kenobi with her. She had been surprised when the notion was brought to her that Ventress would turn Kenobi. Tachi more than doubted it, so strong was her faith in his ethics. She had bet her life on his nobility.

Tachi and Kenobi would be the closest she would ever have to someone caring for her. She would never know the kind of attachment they shared, but she would take what they had given her and make the most of it.

Her ruminations this morning had cemented her feelings. She would write her own destiny from now on.

That destiny came for her at once. Kenobi shouted her out of her trance, and he grasped his leg.

Everything that followed happened faster than she was prepared. Yet it was as if in slow-motion. Her stare surveyed their surroundings. To their right a tall, gangly boy ran up the breezeway motioning frantically to them with one hand while firing his blaster to their left. She swung her head in that direction as Obi-Wan was barraged with gun fire he could barely intercept with his saber.

The stupid Trade Federation.

Ventress pushed her hand out and thrust back Gunray, San Hill and Shu Mai. She watched as Clone Troopers began to rain down from the sky as if dropping from the heavens.

The sun was setting.

"Obi-Wan!"

It was the boy shouting. She saw the boy stop, frozen and his eyes growing huge.

Ventress again looked to the left. Poggle the Lesser was now Poggle of the Triple Blaster, and he pointed it directly at the overwhelmed Jedi.

Ventress gave Kenobi a mighty shove. He hit the floor rolling, snarling at her. She stepped in front of him before he could use his acrobatics to regain footing, and the powerful blast nailed her.

The pain of it was hardly surprising, but she gasped anyway. Her landing was hard atop Kenobi. The sound of the fire multiplied then abruptly ceased. She forced her eyes open and saw Poggle laying on the floor. Mercifully dead.

_Weasel_, she thought then laughed, blood spitting out of her mouth.

_It is the way of the Force, Asajj_, Tachi had told her.

Blast! She'd been bested by a layperson.

She laughed all the harder. So hard, she no longer felt the pain.

It seemed she could not ever triumph as she intended. It was a failure she would take. Peace was washing over her. It brought tears to her eyes.

Han caught up to them. He helped Obi-Wan lift her. They kneeled on either side of her, staring at her incredulously.

Obi-Wan glanced sharply at the boy. "What the devil are you doing here?"

"Siri sent me." Han was still staring at the Sith. "She pushed you down. She took that shot for you."

_I know_, Obi-Wan thought in amazement. She was looking at him, waiting.

"Why, Asajj?" he asked her. "Why did you do that?"

She didn't answer. Obi-Wan pulled out a cloth from inside of his tunic and pressed it to the gaping hole in her chest. It was quickly soaked with her blood.

"Enough," Ventress groaned. "For stars' sake, Kenobi. Leave me be. I'm dying!"

"We'll get you to Med Center," he told her. "You'll be fine."

Han looked skeptical. "Obi-Wan…"

"The boy is right," she whispered. "I told you. I will not live to see the sun set."

Obi-Wan could think of nothing to say. Her actions had dumbfounded him. They had been mortal enemies for years. Why she would pick this time to change, he wanted to know.

He shook his head in consternation. "What is this, Ventress?"

"You always think to save me, Kenobi," she smiled. It was as mischievous as ever. "One good turn…"

Her last breath hissed past her lips, and Obi-Wan frowned. "Asajj?"

"General Kenobi!"

Han pressed his fingers to her neck.

"Obi-Wan, she's dead," he whispered.

"General Kenobi? Are you all right?"

Obi-Wan felt for a pulse himself. There was nothing, and he truly no longer felt her in the Living Force.

_Unbelievable_, he thought. _She saved my life._

With a soft, grateful expression, Obi-Wan smoothed his fingers over her eyes to close them.

He sighed. "I'm fine, Cody."

Han helped him to stand, and he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Thanks, Han."

"Sure." Han modified his posture to accommodate the shorter man. "Can you walk?"

"Yes." Obi-Wan took the assistance humbly and looked at the corpses to the last bastion of hope for a Galactic Empire. "What of them?"

"We'll dispose of the bodies here, General," Cody replied. "What of the guards and Warden Burek, sir?"

"How is the warden?"

"He appears to have no memory or knowledge of why this happened, sir."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said miserably. "He wouldn't. Leave him be, Commander. He is innocent in this farce."

"Farce, sir?"

Obi-Wan waved his hand mildly to dismiss it. "Just see to his care and that of his guards. The Senate will address it with the Jedi Council later, I'm certain."

He tried to look down at the yard below them. "How is General Ackbar?"

Cody used his hand-held COMM to speak with the troopers tending to Ackbar's wounds, and they could hear the Mon-Calamarian's curses of outrage.

"I think he's fine, sir."

Cody waved at his men and three of them came running. "We'll take this corpse to the yard, sir."

"No!" Obi-Wan said emphatically.

He looked down at Ventress once more. The anger and the hatred had finally left her alone. "Wrap her and have her taken to Jedi Temple. The Council will decide the plans for her burial."

Cody dismissed the general's reasoning as Jedi-centric, but followed the command. "Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan nodded, and Han turned them around. They started moving, their steps cumbersome from the wound to his leg.

"Shouldn't we wrap the wound, Obi-Wan?"

"We don't have time, Han."

"Do we have reservations for dinner or something?"

Obi-Wan spared him a glance to indicate that he wasn't amused. "When did Siri bid you to follow me? And no lying."

"I never lie, General."

"I apologize. No shading the truth."

Han grinned. "She _has_ warned you about me!"

"In vivid detail. Now out with it."

"She contacted me when the two of you stayed on Commenor for the night."

Obi-Wan scowled. Why was he the only one who slept in exhausted bliss that night?

"She buzzed me just before you arrived here."

"What is she hatching, Han?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Han, she is up to something. I sense it. You may as well come clean and spare the argument. I have had a very long day."

The boy sighed, "I don't know what she's up to, Obi-Wan. I only know she wanted me here near you."

"There is a disturbance in the Force," Obi-Wan remarked quietly. "I felt it since before we arrived here, but I thought this fiasco was it. The tremors are still here though."

"Well, I don't know about disturbances in the Force, but I know of disruption in communication."

"What do you mean?"

"I tried to COMM Siri before busting you out, but I couldn't reach her. I don't think my COMM link is working."

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "I couldn't reach Temple or Master Yoda on mine when I tried to call for back up."

Han stopped and they shared twin looks of interest. "You think there is something…bad about that?"

"I do not think it is something we want to take a chance on, Han." He quickened his limping pace. "Do you have a ship waiting?"

"Yeah. Where we going?"

"I don't know yet."

"You want us to fly aimlessly around Coruscant just looking for trouble?" Han eyed him with exasperation. "Haven't you had enough for one day?"

Obi-Wan grinned at the boy. "Such is the life of a Jedi, my friend."

Han shook his head but continued to help him rush out of the prison. "Siri is not going to like this."

"Of course she won't," Obi-Wan helpfully agreed. "But alas, she isn't here, is she?"

Han grunted. "All right. Have your fun now because once she's got you snared in matrimony, you won't get away so easily with displeasing her."

They reached the exit, and Obi-Wan let go of Han to hobble on his own.

"Han, old boy," he said. "It will be my greatest pleasure to make certain I keep her well-pleased. I promise you."

He could not have meant that with the crude inference it sounded. He was a Jedi, after all. But Han was a street kid, and the images that statement produced in his young, impressionable head made him wince.

"Ew."

Obi-Wan stopped and adjusted his tunics, fixed his lightsaber onto his belt. "You coming?"

Han nodded and pointed left beyond the main wall. "That way."


	36. Not Was

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Any errors and omissions are my responsibility in this alternate universe story.

Chapter Thirty-Six- Not Was

_"Are you real?"_

_The question was pushed out on a harsh breath. Anakin was awed. He was afraid to even blink for fear the apparition would vanish and leave him alone. He had wanted this time to himself. He had wanted privacy to think on his actions but not at the expense of losing this most welcomed dream. He felt himself grow warm all over. It was wonderful, and he was filled with such joy that it clogged his throat. _

_"Be real," he pleaded. "Be here. With me."_

_"I am as real as you are," his old friend told him. "I am here, and I am with you."_

_In two strides, Anakin clasped and held on to his former master as if the veteran Jedi were his life preserver. He was a small boy again. His exuberance was probably crushing the man, but he didn't care. _

_Qui-Gon Jinn hugged him just has fiercely. "It is good to see you, Anakin."_

_Anakin reluctantly disengaged himself and just looked at him. He had not changed. He looked exactly the same as he did the last time Anakin had seen him. _

_Qui-Gon was studying him as well. His expression was one of thoughtful disbelief. His hands squeezed Anakin's solid shoulders._

_Anakin grinned. While Qui-Gon had not changed for him, he knew there were marked differences in his own appearance. _

_"You…" Qui-Gon was uncharacteristically inarticulate. He tried to smile through his…Anakin didn't know what. "Forgive me, Anakin. I'm afraid I have held the memory of you as a little boy for too long."_

_"You can think of me any way you wish, Master," Anakin told him. _

_Qui-Gon continued to incredulously stare at him, and Anakin felt something in his beloved savior break and saw his face cloud. _

_Anakin bowed his head, misreading him. "You know why I've come. You know what I have done, don't you?"_

Ah, yes_, Qui-Gon thought, dropping his hands from the boy's—the _man's_—shoulders. Anakin's pain had transcended the Force. His confusion made him weak and far too vulnerable for Qui-Gon's relative peace of mind. _

_He folded his arms across his chest, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his cloak as his habit when he considered a situation. Remembering the stance, Anakin could not resist his smile. _

_"You seek understanding," Qui-Gon said._

_"Yes."_

_The truth was in Qui-Gon's response. "I am not certain I am the one to give that to you."_

_Anakin voiced his disagreement. "I learned more from you in three days than in all the years I spent at Temple."_

_"With respect to Obi-Wan, of course."_

_"Of course." Anakin was adequately contrite for the omission. _

_"Come. We shall talk, and together perhaps we can clear the air and make sense of your dilemma."_

_Anakin followed close to his side and looked around the peaceful meadow. "Where are we?"_

_"Force-plain. It's lovely, isn't it?"_

_"Force-plain?" Anakin stopped and goggled in petrifaction. "Am I dead?"_

_Qui-Gon quirked a brow. "You placed yourself here in your meditation. You are quite well, Ani. Do not get so excited."_

_His steps became leaden with trepidation. "My death would logically explain why _you_ are here."_

_"How so?"_

_"Well…you are, er, one with the Force, Master. I lost you long ago…"_

_"You will never lose me, Anakin," Qui-Gon told him flatly, his eyes ahead. "Let that be your first evidence of truth for the day. You will _never_ lose me."_

_There was something about Qui-Gon's manner that puzzled Anakin. The tone he used was filled with emotion. His aura that of immense affection. These were two attributes that Anakin had known by experience and by the numerous stories that Obi-Wan had told him as a child Qui-Gon never outwardly practiced or even condoned. His compassion for what Obi-Wan referred to as 'pathetic life-forms' bespoke his renegade persona separate from the Jedi Order, but he had never been one to offer it so easily for anyone else to hear or watch. _

_Were it not for the particular sensitive intuition of the Jedi, one could have labeled Qui-Gon Jinn as rather cold. _

_"I certainly hope not," Qui-Gon said. _

_Anakin glanced at him sharply. "I suppose your place here has not hampered your abilities."_

_"Not at all. If anything, it has sharpened them. This place is a sanctuary for those of the Light Side of the Force, Ani. You will find only strength and spiritual nourishment here. Should you choose to embrace it. The choices are yours alone. "_

_They stopped before a flower-adorned arbor. Qui-Gon turned to him. "Starting now."_

_Anakin peered through and could not see beyond the entry. He looked at the archway and recognized that it looked exactly like the one leading to the veranda of Padmé's safe house in the lake country of Naboo. The pull of it was strong and rich with memories. There was something in there not of what had happened, and the sensation made him naturally suspicious. _

_He looked at Qui-Gon. "I made Padmé my wife in a place like this one."_

_Qui-Gon remained silent, his stare unreadable._

_"Do you send me back in time?"_

_"No. I am but your host. You wanted your questions answered, Anakin. This step is the first of many that you—only you—have designed."_

_There was a physical energy beckoning Anakin inside, and he looked at it once more. "What's in there?"_

_"Only what you take with you."_

_Anakin instinctively reached for the lightsaber on his belt. His hand came up empty but all Qui-Gon said was, "You do not need it."_

_Perhaps not but as always, Anakin would have preferred to have his weapon on hand against the unknown._

_"Go inside, Anakin, and then decide what is preferred."_

_Determined not to let him down, Anakin walked in and immediately came to a halt._

_It was not the lake country but Theed. It was twilight and there was a large crowd of Naboo citizens donned in black lining both sides of the main drag outside of the Palace Plaza. Their expressions—every last one of them—were grave. There were men with their heads bowed and women weeping. Small children held their mothers' hands, not knowing what else to do. There were scattered whispers around him. He listened only partially, his attention focused on the road, trying to see what everyone was mumbling about. _

_Anakin moved through the throng slowly, his presence ignored if it was even felt at all. _

_"I don't understand…" he heard someone say. "She was so beautiful…"_

_"How could anyone do this to her?"_

_Anakin's curiosity was definitely piqued. He moved quicker toward the street, toward the lanterns staked along the drive. He needed to see what was happening. The closer he came, the thicker the crowd. He could not move any farther. _

_"There is talk that it was murder…"_

_"Sith? The Sith have returned…?"_

_At the last, Anakin stiffened. The pall of foreboding came. He looked at the elderly man beside him as the spectator continued to speak._

_"The official word is that she was murdered by the Jedi, but…" The old man looked to his left then his right and said in a whisper to the woman on the other side of Anakin. "The rumor is that the Chancellor condemned her. They claim she was a traitor."_

_The wrinkled old woman scoffed, "That's preposterous! Senator Amidala would never betray the Republic."_

_Anakin felt his knees give way, and his heart stopped. _

_"No," he whispered and began to run through the oblivious crowd. _

_Tears clouded his vision, but he could make out the somber expressions of Boss Nass and Jar-Jar Binks. The queen of Naboo wore ceremonial garbs of mourning, as did Sio Bibble who flanked her. Ruwee and Jobel Naberrie followed solemnly just behind the entourage along with Sola, visibly stricken with grief, and Ryoo and Pooja, her twin girls at each side clutching bouquets of flowers in their tiny fists. _

_The mournful strains to the dirge honoring the dead and the haunting melody of its voices raised toward a crescendo as the progression moved closer to the Triumphal Arch and the beloved Senator's final resting place. _

_It was with a painful tightness in his chest that Anakin moved through the barriers like a determined wraith. Incredibly, his steps were slow as he came upon the open casket carrying his adored wife. He had to see her for himself. _

_They had dressed her for burial in a gown of rich blue crushed silk, making her skin a golden hue—even in death. Her hair was spread over the opulent pillows with sprigs of flowers, making her more ethereal and even more like the angel he had always known her to be. Her beautiful eyes and lush lips were shut, forever closed. Her dainty, deceptively fragile hands were folded under her breasts gently clasping a small snippet of japor of unknown origin to the crowd._

_But Anakin knew it was an intensely private memento to a boundless, eternal love that would exist long after she had left this life. _

_Time stopped. Their movements ceased. Anakin brought his shaking left hand up to touch her cheek. _

_His reason tried to remind him that none of this was real. This is not what had happened. But the dragon—the dark selfish beast he now knew to be named Vader, relished that it could have. His visions of Mustafar were continuing to plague him with tricks of memory. He could still see Padmé standing in front of him, terrified and heartbroken. He could still hear her begging him to leave with her. They could disappear and none would be the wiser. They could run away and raise their child together with nothing but their love. _

_But Vader would not hear it. Vader wanted the power. Vader wanted control, and her feelings were irrelevant. He would keep her at his side and he would claim the Empire for himself. For _them_. They would rule the galaxy. _

_It is what_ Vader _wanted_. _It was what Vader wanted, and Padmé had paid for it. He could hear the hateful accusations he had spat at her, believing she had deceived him with Obi-Wan, whose presence he distinctly felt hiding within her skiff. _

_Anakin, a faint prisoner of himself, knew better than to think of anything untoward between his wife and his mentor. It was of no consequence to Vader. The seeds were planted, and he would take what he wanted whether Padmé wanted it or not and would use any means necessary to attain it. His greed was stronger than the bonds of love._

_Vader was without the heart to appreciate the depth of Anakin's worship for the tiny woman who held the good of his soul within her chest._

_"Your visions of Mustafar…the story it tells you…what would have been your mistake leading to this?" he heard Qui-Gon ask him. _

_Anakin touched her brow lovingly. "Letting Vader rise. Choosing the dark side before Padmé."_

_Qui-Gon took the place next to his shivering padawan. He looked down at the sad commentary of loss and said, "What would have been the chain of events to follow?"_

_Unbelievably hurt, Anakin leaned down to rest his cheek against her forehead. "My child would have been…Obi-Wan."_

_He closed his eyes with misery. "I would have lost Obi-Wan, too. He would have kept my child hidden from me. It would have been the only thing he could do to keep the baby safe."_

_"What else?"_

_"I would be nothing but Palpatine's enforcer, a shell of what I was. The galaxy would have fallen to ruins. By my hand."_

_"For what?"_

_Anakin brushed his lips reverently across those of his love. "Nothing."_

_"The boy who was going to free the slaves and champion the Republic and democracy would have been lost forever with Padmé." There was touching sympathy in Qui-Gon's voice. "Such is the cost of acting on your self-indulgences, Anakin. You would have made a terrible choice, and it would have cost you everything you hold dear. It would have destroyed the very things you sought to preserve…and to protect."_

_"But I did not make the choice." He straightened but kept his hand over Padmé's. "What is the lesson from showing me this? I want to understand, Master."_

_"You must control your emotions, Anakin. You must learn to think before you act. It is one thing to bring balance to the Force, but you must master it for yourself as well. You have to learn to balance the good from the bad else the first will surely lead you to the second."_

_Qui-Gon continued benevolently without judgment. "Your feelings for her are sincere and incredibly pure. It's a wondrous thing, your love for Padmé, and there is much value in it. I would not know how to admonish you for it. Even if I meant to do so. But, as you can see, there is danger in lack of temperance. You must learn to…"_

_"Lead with my heart but act with my head," Anakin finished. _

_Qui-Gon nodded. "Know when to put your feelings aside—and hers. Learn to logically evaluate a situation and its repercussions before you raise your hand against another or seek to obliterate an opponent."_

_Anakin was skeptical. "Even when the opponent is me?"_

_"Look at her again, Anakin," Qui-Gon replied gently. _

_The sorrow in Anakin's expression confirmed what Qui-Gon suspected. "You think Anakin Skywalker could ever fall to the Dark Side as long as he knew this was the consequence?"_

_"Learn when to hold on to her and when to let her go," Anakin whispered. _

_"Yes."_

_"And trust in the Force to help me make the right decision."_

_"Listen to It when It calls you, Anakin. Listen to _you_."_

♦

The fight within Palpatine's bunker took place with a virulence yet unheard of in the sordid history between Jedi and Sith. Neither combatant seemed to relent in their advance or deplete their energy. They came at each other with equal ferocity. The Sith used the Jedi's emotional distraction to impress upon him the speed of his assault. The Jedi let his anger feed the renewed aggression, and he practically spat his rage.

Anakin could see his rival's gnarled teeth. He backhanded him, loosening his assailant's hold on the replica of a lightsaber. He clenched his gloved mechanical hand.

The cur had not expected the fist that plowed into his face, and he flew back with a grunt. The cowl had dislodged from his head, and the Jedi saw a full crop of lustrous red hair. His youthful face was twisted with pain, and Anakin watched with satisfaction as the would-be Sith hit the floor.

So Sidious was not Sidious. Ice-blue eyes fumed at Anakin, and he flew to his feet.

Anakin side-stepped him, volleying the attack with his weapon effortlessly. His opponent was fast. Very fast. His bruised ego obviously propelled him to assuage the dishonor of being clocked with a fist. Anakin had made him stupid with it.

That was good for a seething Anakin. For every step forward this silly imbecile took to offend, Anakin countered with scathing fury. It was almost as if Anakin played with him. He found his movements well-choreographed. He could have dismissed this as a sparring class at Temple. Only his peers weren't cast with hatred.

That his adversary was not the reanimated figure of Lord Sidious he would celebrate later. For right now, all he needed, all he was using to know was that this hulking slime had thrown his wife across the room like a rag doll.

Anakin took on the role of the initiator. He stalked his prey out of the main room and into the corridor of the archives. The grin on his face was diabolical as he forced the man to retreat.

_Good_, he mentally congratulated himself. _Run from me_. He had no other way out of the bunker.

The twit took to the shadows.

_You can run, but you will not hide. _

He heard the distant but stern call of his name.

_Anakin…calm down._

He shook his head against the plea.

_Anakin_, think! _Use your head_.

Padmé was all he could think.

_Do not believe your anger is scrupulous. Think. Weigh the consequences of your attack. _

Anakin felt for Padmé in his mind. He could not afford to glance in her direction.

She was unconscious, but she was not severely injured. She would live.

_You must put her out of your mind._ Think.

Anakin's eyes blinked heatedly. So he stood in the doorway, his alert gaze into the darkness ahead but his mind on his lessons.

Who was this person? What did he want in the bunker? Had he been here this whole time? Had he anticipated Anakin's arrival? Where and how had he acquired his skills? Where did he learn the Jedi arts? How did he know how to wield them? What did he know of the Sith, and how did he know the style of Sidious' lightsaber?

How did Anakin fail to sense him here?

The conversation with his wife just moments ago came back to him. _You believe he sought to clone himself…How can you be certain it is a male? If he had succeeded…if not you, then…_

_Another man with dark potential…_

_You could not feel yourself in the Force third person_, Padmé had told him.

Sidious was successful in his task to create a Sith.

By the grace of the Force, it was not Anakin.

The profound relief calmed him considerably.

The startling contrast between one minute to the next moved Anakin to focus. The energy was there in the archives. His pulse hummed with recognition of the Force. He did not have to venture any further. He would be patient. He would let the enemy come back to him.

And he would get all the answers he needed.

Anakin leaned against the doorjamb. His breathing evened. Every speck of malice left him. By now, this violent interruption in the Force was felt throughout the galaxy. Temple would be rampant with activity. It was only a matter time before the bunker was surrounded by his friends.

Anakin found something to grin about.

_Come out, rodent. Come and get me._

♦

_They walked for a long time in silence before Qui-Gon spoke again. The vision at the arbor had left Anakin shaken, and the master had let him take the time he needed to absorb it all. Now, he would get more of the story._

_"Dooku." Qui-Gon prompted, "Tell me about him."_

_Anakin sighed. "I wanted him to die. He tried to kill Padmé. He initiated the war…"  
_

_"He had injured you. You murdered him for no other reason, Anakin," Qui-Gon said unequivocally. "You must own that."_

_"Dooku was evil."_

_"And the Tuskens? Were they evil?"_

_Anakin glared at him, surprised Qui-Gon would think they were not. "It's not the same thing."_

_"You murdered them as well."_

_"They tortured and killed my mother!"_

_"They were no match for your abilities and therefore just as defenseless as Dooku, Anakin," Qui-Gon opposed, customarily calm. "What happened to Shmi was terribly tragic, but you did her a grave disservice with your acts of revenge. She would have never approved of such things."_

_There was no argument for that, and it was not until this moment that Anakin knew true remorse for his deeds. "You're right."_

_"Anakin, I have no dispute with your heart. It is all too easy to give in to wrath. I may have been guilty of it myself."_

_"You, Master? I cannot imagine that."_

_Qui-Gon's expression clouded again, and Anakin didn't press the issue. _

_"What about Palpatine? What of the wrath in vivisecting him?" _

_Qui-Gon chewed on that for a moment. "That was an act of self-defense."_

_"It wasn't me he was electrocuting."_

_"It was you he was manipulating. You were critical to his plans for the future. There was a great deal of that business that was entirely about you. You are justified in being hurt by the knowledge. In the end, his seduction made your core instincts rebel. And that is why you finished him."_

_Anakin's hand absently skimmed the tall blades of wheat as they walked. "I heard you, you know. That night with my mother on Tatooine."_

_He bowed his head. "You must be so disappointed in me."_

_Qui-Gon set him at ease. "_Worried_, Anakin. I worried for you. You were in pain." Then, on a whisper, "And I could not help you."_

_"You tried. I wouldn't listen."_

_"I do not believe I could be disappointed by you, Ani." Qui-Gon stopped to face him. "I feel nothing but pride when I look at you. Even knowing what I do, seeing what I have seen. You may have much still to learn of the Living Force, but you are young. You have plenty of time, and you may call on me every now and again. I will do what I can to assist you with…anything you may need."_

_His mouth quirked into a smile. "And you are here. That is proof enough that the teachings of my former padawan have not been in vain."_

_It was meant to lighten the mood. Instead, Anakin looked even more dejected. _

_"Obi-Wan is a good master, and I have learned a lot from him."_

_"Yes. That is good."_

_"I know I have not been the easiest apprentice, and I know that he only took me on as such because of his promise to you…"_

_"You should not underestimate Obi-Wan Kenobi, padawan. That may have been true in the beginning, but were he opposed to you remaining under his tutelage, he would have brought the matter before Council."_

_"He and I have been…strained lately. I think he blames himself for my mistakes."_

_"Yes," Qui-Gon breathed, and they continued their stroll. "He would. That is how he is. You should not take it personally, Anakin. Obi-Wan was always very serious, very dedicated to the Order."_

_"Is it true you almost didn't take him as your padawan learner?"_

_"Confided that to you, did he? Yes, it's true. He was almost thirteen years old. They would have sent him…"_

_"To the Farm." Suddenly, Anakin managed to chuckle. "Farmer Kenobi."_

_Qui-Gon knew he should not, but laughter escaped him as well. "I can assure you, Obi-Wan was not at all amused at the prospect."_

_His humor eased, Anakin replied, "That would have a blow to all of us. The Jedi would have been deprived of the best Knight in the Order, and I would have lived without my best friend."_

_The laughter ceased, but he kept his smile. "He's the only father I have ever known, Master. I cannot imagine my life without him in it."_

_Qui-Gon sobered. He stared at him, so still and quiet that Anakin was forced to ask, concerned, "What is it, Master?"_

_Qui-Gon swallowed the answer he wanted to give the boy. Instead, he sighed, "It's nothing, Ani. I was just thinking of the tricks destiny plays on us."_

_Anakin nodded with sympathy, misunderstanding the reason for his master's abrupt melancholy. "You must miss him terribly."_

_"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, I do."_

_"He misses you, too, Master. Every day."_

_"I have been blessed with two very kind and generous padawans." He bowed his appreciation. "You humble me, Anakin."_

_"We are so different—Obi-Wan and I."_

_"Tell me what makes you think so."_

_"Isn't it obvious? You said it yourself. He's so serious and dedicated. I am much more laidback and instinctive. He says I am a nonconformist for the sake of sheer willful rebellion."_

_"Have you given him a reason for believing such? Come now, Anakin. You have not been very honest with him."_

_"How could I be, Master? I married Padmé against the codes of the Jedi. I could not tell him. I would have been dismissed from the Order, and he would have…I could not bear disappointing him. Not really. I love him."_

_"For someone who claims to love him, you do not give him much credit for knowing you."_

_"Master, you don't understand. Neither would he. I am in love with Padmé. I have been from the time the two of you walked into Watto's junk shop. Obi-Wan would never understand that kind of attachment."_

_There were so many similarities the two of them failed to recognize in one another. Qui-Gon regretted the role he may have played in those misconceptions his beloved padawans shared. His guilt with the wreck of emotions and the dissolution of the bonds of trust he may have put on Obi-Wan did not escape him now any more than his suffering with his secret. _

_"I want you to do something for me, Anakin."_

_"Sure."_

_"I want you to trust Obi-Wan to know his own mind. I want you to believe that no matter your differences, you are just as much a part of him as he is to you. He has grown into a very strong, powerful Jedi, but he will stand at your side. There is nothing you have to face, no challenge where he would abandon you." _

_Qui-Gon smiled. "Where you are concerned, there is almost nothing he would not forgive. He understands you more than you could ever know. I promise you."_

_"Even Padmé."_

_"Especially Padmé."_

_"Is there something you're not telling me about this?"_

_"His stories are not mine to tell, Anakin. I'm sorry." He did add, "It seems we are more human than Jedi than some would believe."_

_"_'We'_?" Anakin was itching to know. "Are you implying Obi-Wan…_Master_…have _you_ ever been in love?"_

_Qui-Gon saw Tahl's face in his mind, but he masked his features and simply said, "Yes."_

_Anakin surmised that the subject was off-limits, and he would not pursue it. It was enough to know that it was…_

_Anakin frowned. He looked again at Qui-Gon and shook his head. No, he thought. Such an attachment for Qui-Gon was utterly _impossible

♦

"You _are_ a wonder, Skywalker," Not-Sidious called. "Not at all what I expected."

Anakin didn't answer. He stayed at the opening of the hallway, unwilling to be lured into whatever trap the moron thought to devise.

"From all reports, you have a temper to rival that of my…"

_Your father_? Anakin wanted to ask. He didn't have to make the inquiry. His feelings were quite sure that this was Palpatine's demon seed.

"I felt your anger when I shoved your sweetheart to sleep. Why do you fight it?"

The slur was meant to upset him, but all it did was make Anakin grit his teeth with impatience.

"My Master would have been so disappointed in you."

_I don't doubt it_, Anakin thought. Being the victim of his lightsaber would instill that in a person.

"You are nothing. You are a coward. You won't even come in to fight."

_Not true. I always R.S.V.P. the affirmative to a party. _

He was scolded for his cheek with the mild inflection of rebuke in the call of his name.

_Anakin_…

He glanced up at the adobe roof as if expecting Qui-Gon to be there. His master's presence could not penetrate the Force to be here. It was a corporeal Sith-rich environment. It would not be permitted. The teachings of the Force dictated that he could not interfere in this matter. As the Sith before this one, Anakin would have to be on his own.

_Great_, Anakin thought. _Now I'm imagining his voice_.

"What is it you think to do, Skywalker? Think you I cannot go through you?"

_You'll need a lot more than what you've got to do it, dummy_.

Anakin wasn't pleased. What was the point of this cat-and-mouse? Did he truly think Anakin would go in there sight-unseen, with no knowledge of the room to give him a plan of defense?

_Force_! This was ridiculous.

"Tell me," he finally shouted in response. "How long have you been here?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, but I am curious. It was very clever of you to cloak your presence." Anakin gave him that much. Either the man was incredibly gifted in Force-disguise, or he was without true Force-sensitivity. He would not take it for granted that it was the latter.

"I jumped."

_Beg pardon?_

"I went from body to body. _That_ is something you wretched Jedi cannot do."

Anakin felt his matrix finger twitch. Not-Sidious was moving closer.

"How ingenious of you," he said drolly. "Unsanitary, but ingenious."

"You should have seen the look on Kenobi's face when I stood before him. The stupid man didn't feel me coming either."

Anakin's jaw tightened. Obi-Wan…He could not think about him now.

"Ah," Not-Sidious groaned in triumph. "That's it. There is the anger again. Don't you want to know what has become of your insipid master?"

_Come closer, bantha fodder, and I will impolitely ask you._

"I will leave you with nothing, Skywalker." Not-Sidious' voice was flat and without humor now. "I will leave you with nothing as you have left me."

Anakin waited until the last possible second to dive to his right. The Sith's blade missed his head by a foot. His leg swept the floor, but his opponent jumped out of the way and their sabers connected again. He rolled and kicked his leg up. This time he caught his opponent in the back and he stumbled.

Anakin coiled and bounced to his feet. Not-Sidious feinted to his left and easily avoided a blow across his neck. The saber-work was dazzling with its efficient wielding. Unfortunately, it was from the dexterity and talent of _both_ warriors.

They jumped apart to stare at each other with begrudging admiration.

"You _are_ good," Not-Sidious said between heaving breaths.

"You sound surprised." Anakin paced to counter his.

He would keep this away from Padmé.

"My master delighted in regaling me with your stories," Not-Sidious seethed. "He made me listen to them endlessly."

"It's nice to be appreciated," Anakin dug cruelly. _Come on. Come at me._

"'Anakin is smart. Anakin is self-possessed. He has a natural athleticism and a keen acumen'. He is…he is _natural_!"

That was the crux of it. He was constantly compared to Anakin, and he was goaded to perform as desired with the comparisons. Then he was punished for something that he had no say in to start with. He did not choose his conception. Sidious had developed him, and yet made this man pay for it. As if Sidious was not responsible for any flaw in his design.

The third wave was the charm as Not-Sidious bore down on him like a man possessed. He thrust in rapid succession, and Anakin parried each one. They continued this way for several long minutes.

Sweat was forming on Anakin's brow. He'd had enough. He reached out with the Force to hold him off. Not-Sidious deflected it with his own hand out, and Anakin felt the air being sucked out of him.

He began to choke. Not-Sidious laughed uproariously, and his hand curled slowly as if really around Anakin's throat.

"You were going to 'butcher' me?" Not-Sidious taunted with laughter.

Anakin could feel his eyes begin to bulge from his head and struggled to somehow escape the grip. He could not pass out. He fought to keep his gaze from Padmé on the floor. He had to think. He could not leave her to this freak.

He could not leave her. He could _never_ leave her.

He felt his body tense with a foreign vigor. His right hand, the mechanical one, turned to bring his saber up to block while his left reached out…

Not-Sidious screamed in pain as Anakin's Force-lightning streamed in wretched volts square into his chest. Anakin would not question how he had acquired such a method of defense. It was to his advantage as Not-Sidious' hold was immediately broken, and Anakin stumbled for a second, trying to gain oxygen.

He took it in large gulps. Not-Sidious writhed on the floor, momentarily disoriented. He would not let the bastard take advantage of it. He hit him again with the bolts.

Sportsmanship had never been Anakin's strong-suit. A man couldn't change his nature in a single day.

He stomped over to stand above him. He did not have to use the Force to take the lightsaber from his opponent's sizzling hand. He ignited it and pointed the tip at the scum's nose.

"You can't kill me," Not-Sidious croaked, his chest heaving and smoke still rising from him. "You need me. You'll never know the truth if you kill me."

"I have dealt with your ilk a time or two, Sith," he replied calmly. "I know your tricks. You have nothing to tell I cannot discern for myself."

Not-Sidious' laugh was wrought with sarcasm. "Because you've been so successful before now."

"Moderately so," Anakin replied. "I am here to tell my tales. Dooku and Sidious don't have the privilege."

His barb stung, he knew. It was obvious by the flare of the man's eyes.

"What could you possibly have to add that is not etched into these walls?" Anakin watched him glance around the room at the various imprints.

"You think my father a fool?"

"Sidious was not your father!" Anakin hissed impatiently. "He was your donor."

"You dare to mock me?" The prisoner shouted with outrage. "You scorn my existence as an abomination. You believe yours any better?"

"The source of my conception was not a petrie dish, Sith, and I'm not interested in arguing with you about it."

"You were not a immaculate conception yourself, Skywalker. You try to ridicule me with your display of innocence. You are no more holy than I! You're just as unnatural. You are nothing but a mathematical improvisation to equal high midichlorian counts! Your mother…"

The scorching tip of the lightsaber slashed over his lips, and Not-Sidious yelped.

"Be very careful with what you say," Anakin warned. "I could make your demise not only grossly uncomfortable but very much like an accident."

"You are not the fulfillment of a ridiculous divination! Your power is not a miracle. It's the product of its own perverse genetics."

Anakin frowned. He certainly didn't expect the man was telling him the truth, but there was something about the comment that struck him like a blow to the head. He felt…

"What are you talking about?" he muttered gutturally.

Blood seeped from Not-Sidious' lips, and the fury of being bested made him vibrate with self-loathing.

"You are a Jedi."

It took a moment, but Anakin sighed, "Thanks for the recap."

He felt foolish for even entertaining the simpleton.

"Of the Jedi."

Anakin snorted, "You speak in riddles, and you're beginning to bore me."

He stepped back and out of his reach, keeping both sabers pointed at him. "Stand up."

"You are an abomination of the Jedi." Not-Sidious murmured softly, pushing himself upright with difficulty. "That is why they do not trust you. That is why they seek to destroy you."

He dusted off his cloak. "You know it as well as I."

He continued to mutter to himself. "Sired by a Master Jedi _on_ a Master Jedi."

He glanced at Anakin while he adjusted his sleeves. "You are nothing but their own cloning experiment."

Finally, he finished putting himself to rights and again faced Anakin. The expression that greeted him made his injured lips part with surprise.

Skywalker looked at him as if he had sprouted another head to pummel.

"You didn't know," Not-Sidious whispered with amazement. "You honestly did not know."

He began to cackle with glee. "You dullard! How did it never occur to you?"

Every moment of his life beginning the day he met Qui-Gon Jinn flashed before Anakin's eyes. Every negative utterance, all the allusions to the prophecy made in his regard and the contempt he drew for it.

"I sense much anger in him…" Yoda forever declared.

Master Windu's, "the boy is dangerous" was another constant refrain and inevitably someone would point out, "He is the Chosen One…"

What if there were no such prophecy? What if that was code for a deception? Could he be the child of two Jedi?

"I assure you it's true, Skywalker," Not-Sidious relished. "My father took great pride in knowing the Jedi's dirty little secret."

His face darkened. "He became obsessed with it. He wanted you more than his own offspring."

He glared at Anakin with loathing. "Who better to train at his side than the son of Qui-Gon Jinn?"

Anakin's gut jolted as if struck. He searched for any sign of trickery from the bogus Sith, any indication that he was lying.

There wasn't any.

"That isn't true," he denied hotly. Qui-Gon would have told him.

But he could not fight the sense that it was fact. Qui-Gon Jinn was his father.

His entire life had been a lie.

Anakin shook his head as though he could make the sinking sensation disappear. He would believe the Jedi. He would believe in Qui-Gon and Yoda and the rest of his family.

His family.

"That's not true," he helplessly repeated. Then he shouted, "That's _impossible_!"

It was beginning to feel like déjà vu. Only he had not been the original and intended lead in the play to make such an exclamation.

"Search your feelings, Skywalker," Not-Sidious happily rejoined. "You know it to be true."

"You miserable…!" Anakin leaped toward him and was promptly blasted into the wall, bolts of blue light slamming into him.

Not-Sidious had him. He used both hands to cook his nemesis. The lightsabers now lay useless on the ground beneath Skywalker.

He paused in his triumph, and Skywalker dropped to the ground, smoldering, squirming in agony. He Force-swept the weapons far out of reach then added insult to injury. "You lose, Skywalker."

He splayed his fingers again.

Anakin's shouts grew louder as the pain twisted through him. He could feel the powerful zings go up and down his body, making his skin sizzle and his muscles atrophy.

He had lost. He had failed again to use his head. He had let his opponent play with his mind, and now he was going to die. He could not even summon the strength to open his eyes. He wanted to see Padmé. He wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he became one with the Force.

Anakin was too weak to notice at first that the blitz ceased. He tried to brace himself, fully expecting another round. The room grew quiet, or perhaps his hearing was impaired. He was struggling to get his eyes opened when he made out sound.

The low, steady hum of a lightsaber.

His eyelids raised a bit, but his vision was blurry. He willed himself to blink. When he could fully open his eyes, he could clearly make out the sight of Not-Sidous on his knees, a stunned expression frozen on his face and the yellow-length of the blade to Siri's borrowed lightsaber protruding from his chest.

He had been stabbed through the back, his assassin catching him unaware.

Not-Sidious fell forward, his face in the dirt, and Anakin saw his wife pull the lightsaber from his enemy's corpse. The matrix disengaged.

Padmé glared at the Sith with tears in her eyes. She made no apologies. She spoke to her husband in a defiant whisper. "He was going to kill you."

Anakin labored to get on his feet. The look in her eyes frightened him. She spoke as though she was in control of herself, but he knew she was terrified. "I know, angel. You did the right thing. It's all right."

They stared at each other for a moment before she relented and ran into his arms, wrapped by the charred sleeves of his tunic.

She sobbed with relief, and he pressed her tighter.

"It's over now, angel," he promised. "We've finished it."


	37. Delight Despair Disclosure

The Jedi Change

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Thirty-Seven- Delight. Despair. Disclosure.

The excitement within Temple was subdued, comparatively speaking, to the last time Anakin had vanquished a Sith. There was the task of securing the bodies of Ventress and the rogue, but the tension of the day had eased. The Skywalker children had calmed once their parents had returned. Master Windu had seen them settled in with their mother in Med Center. The senator was exhausted and had been given a sedative to make her rest.

Mace was still flabbergasted by the turn of events. He had arrived at the bunker, trusted Clone Troopers in tow, to find the rogue Sith already quite deceased and the Skywalkers embracing each other. Skywalker was surprised that it was Master Windu to retrieve him. That much had been obvious in his expression.

Mace had practically flown down the steep stairwell, his lightsaber on the ready to defend. He had not known what to expect to find, but he would be prepared for anything. He owed it to Anakin. The battle had just finished, for the horrible stench of burned flesh had not had time to fade. Skywalker had looked worse for the wear, and his wife appeared no better.

Mace suspected that her tears had not been those of remorse. He had known Senator Amidala-Skywalker for a long time. She was more than sufficient skill with a weapon. Now she could add to her physical arsenal the use of a lightsaber. He also knew of her capabilities in the defense of the people of Naboo, those she cared for. He could extend that knowledge to explain what she would perform in the defense of her Jedi husband.

Perhaps the worst mistake the Sith had made was underestimating Skywalker's wife.

It was after their return that the Jedi realized all communications based from or operating through Temple had been obliterated. It was why their COMM links had not been functioning properly. Once the Sith had been defeated, systems had returned to normal.

Master Yoda and Mistress Tachi had arrived just after he had and were waiting for them when they had gotten out of the bunker. Siri had helped Padmé onto the cruiser, her nod to Anakin mysterious. Skywalker was quiet during their trip to Temple with the exception of his hoarse whisper of gratitude and the affirmation that he was not seriously hurt. Mace would not press him.

But there was something happening between Skywalker and Master Yoda. He could sense the electric animosity from the young man and couldn't fathom the cause. It wouldn't be up to Mace to discover and that suited him fine. For now.

He made his steps down the concourse slow so Yoda's hovercraft could keep up with him.

"I have heard from Chancellor Organa."

"And?"

"He would like to keep the events of the bunker between himself and the Jedi," Mace told him.

"Just as well, it is. Act against him, we have."

"He didn't sound particularly upset. In fact…he may have been in on their plans."

"Then why take my card for passage, did they?"

Mace shrugged. "Well, they were already here. They had simpler access to you."

Yoda reluctantly agreed and let the matter pass. He had more pressing concerns. "Understand, I do not, how the Sith's presence not felt."

"Yes, his talent for cloaking himself would have been useful to possess."

"Not only the cloaking," Yoda muttered with regret. "Sense his conception, his rearing, escape us it did."

"Master, I believe we would have known had it been here on Coruscant," Mace told him. "Would he have been born within the Republic his presence would have been known, and Sidious' plan would have never been given the opportunity to come to order."

Yoda was quiet for a moment, his thoughts unclear. "Refuse to speak to me Skywalker did outside of the bunker. To you, what has he said?"

"He merely mentioned his gratitude. Nothing else. Is there something to worry you about Master Skywalker?"

Yoda kept his stare ahead of them. "Between Anakin and me it must remain."

Mace nodded and kept walking.

♥

Obi-Wan sat quietly back against his pillow as Siri finished swabbing the gash on his thigh with disinfectant. They were alone in sickbay, but a ceiling-to-floor drape had been pulled around to afford them more privacy.

He never thought he would enjoy someone hovering over him. Whenever he had suffered cuts or scrapes in his travels, he usually cared for himself. Any wound requiring greater attention was usually left through no other choice to treatment from Anakin. Naturally, his apprentice's nursing made Obi-Wan strictly adherent to rules of utter self-preservation.

But this? Watching his love concentrate on him so intensely? Feeling her touching him with both tenderness and adroit competence? It made him wish he had more wounds for her to fuss over. She didn't see the way he stared at her, his subtle smile, so intent she was on what she was doing. He felt compelled to mention, "After what's happened today, it really is all over."

She used her teeth to rip open the parchment of gauze. She merely grunted her response and bent to continue her work of bandaging his wound.

Obi-Wan's gaze turned soft with sympathy. He knew why she was so frazzled and quiet. Siri could not comprehend why Ventress had done what she had. When he had told her of it just a few minutes ago, Siri had left him without a word. She came back having verified for herself that Asajj was truly dead this time and not running a scam from a Sith-trance.

Siri taped the pad of gauze carefully. "The method of her passing should be of no consequence to me."

Obi-Wan said nothing. He just lightly touched her cheek. There were tears in her eyes he knew she fought against.

She sighed and shook her head with irritation. "I do not like feeling that I am indebted to her."

She finished her task and finally met his gaze. "She chose to live as she did. She alone. I will not be made to feel as if I owe her any kind of sympathy, and I certainly will not mourn her."

Obi-Wan opened his arms, and she fell easily into his embrace. He pressed her to him, careful of the sling, and stroked her hair as she cried.

It was expected, he reasoned, that Siri would feel something in Ventress' death. They had been the symbol of many things to each other and against each other. It was a strange kinship, but Obi-Wan knew exactly what Ventress had represented to Siri and why.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Do you want to know what I think?"

"That I'm crazy?" she sniffled, and he smiled.

"No." He tilted her face up to look into her eyes. "I think she represented failure to you. I think you looked at her as a moral compass. Ventress was everything you were not because of the choices you had made in your own life. She was something visceral to guard yourself against."

After everything that had happened and all the things Ventress had destroyed, Siri could still feel compassion. It hurt her. "I wanted so much to help her, Obi-Wan. She was evil. I knew it, but I still wanted to…"

"It's in your nature to try to help someone in pain. You're a Jedi. It's what we do."

Siri scooped up on the bed and settled beside him, her face against his neck. He wrapped both arms around her then and closed his eyes. Merriment was definitely in the simplicity of holding her.

"I couldn't even hate her," she whined without heat.

"You're not supposed to hate."

"I wanted to do that too, though." She burrowed closer. "She held you prisoner on Rattatak."

Obi-Wan frowned a little. He had put the memory of that time behind him, but there was a new faculty to it he wanted to explain. "There was a moment shortly before she died, where I think I sensed her remembering that as well. She had me, Siri. I escaped, but now I can't help but wonder if perhaps she had let me go."

Siri scoffed, "Not bloody likely."

She kissed his chin. "You were smarter. You think with a clear head. It's what drives me insane about you."

He would humbly agree if it kept her kissing him. "That could be true, but for argument's sake…"

"Do we have to argue?"

"Not us specifically, darling, but let's just say Ventress did allow me to leave without further adieu. Why do you think that was?"

"Why does Master Windu carry a lightsaber with a decidedly-feminine blade?" she dismissed with humor. "Who knows?"

Obi-Wan spoke into her ear. "Careful, love. These walls carry sound beyond them."

Siri closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Nevertheless, we should return to the subject at hand. I think all of your dealings with her may have had a direct impact on her demise."

"What do you mean?"

"Siri." He cradled her face in his palms and said, "I think she did it for us."

She shook her head. "That isn't impossible. Asajj knew nothing about us. Not really. She was incapable of feeling anything other than scorn and ridicule, particularly when it came to my love for you. She said it herself. She actively disdained it."

"She thought of you in her last seconds, Siri. I could feel it. Looking at you now, I can almost swear by it."

"We'll never know her motive, Obi-Wan, and maybe we shouldn't try. It could drive us mad trying to figure her out for certain."

She smiled. "I would so much rather think on the present and maybe a little—just a little—on the future."

"Oh?" His kiss was sweet. "What is there to think about?"

It was unkind to make her voice it when he knew exactly to what she referred. "You know."

"I'm afraid I do not."

Siri blushed and looked away. "That thing we touched on before they sent you with…her."

"My memory is faulty," he lied with mischief. He felt her squirm with discomfiture and grinned. "Refresh it, please."

"You're a cad for teasing me, Kenobi."

"Ah, the whole business of marrying you…that is it, yes?"

"Yes." Siri leaned back and eyed him speculatively. "If you would like to wait longer, I understand…"

Obi-Wan glared with admonishment. "Twenty-years is an excruciatingly long engagement. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, but…"

"Considering we no longer hold the fate of anyone's life or universe in our hands, we should be able to make quite a quick work of it, my beautifully blonde love. Leave it to me."

_Happily, but_… "There is still the matter of the Council, baby. I…well…today…"

"Was typical of you from what they understand."

"I am what I am, that's true. But…"

"No." He kissed her once more. "No buts. I love you. You love me. We're going to be happy, and the Council will get used to the idea. Leave it to me."

"The idea, yes," she chided his arrogance. "The reality of it will be a whole new experience."

"Only in your mind. Now say it. Say you'll marry me."

Siri blushed again, deeper this time. "I've already said yes."

"I told you that my memory is faulty." He brushed his lips over hers. "Now say it again as this may very well be the last time we agree on anything. Say, 'Yes. I will gladly marry you, Obi-Wan'."

She smiled against his lips, more in love with him than ever before. "Yes, I will gladly marry you, Obi-Wan."

"Say, 'I will lay down next to you every night and wake within your arms every morning. And we'll bear a litter of gifted, obstinate and almost unfairly attractive children together '."

She chuckled and repeated, "I will lay down next to you every night and wake within your arms every morning. And we'll bear a litter of gifted, obstinate and almost unfairly attractive children together."

Enjoying this, Obi-Wan prompted, "'And I will mend your tunics and brew your tea…'"

No fool, she glared at his beaming face. "In your dreams, Kenobi."

"I thought as much," he said with mock disappointment. "Kiss me again."

"You don't deserve another kiss."

Feigning shock, Obi-Wan pleaded, "But I've been injured!"

He ruined it with another helpless grin. "Kiss me and make it better."

Siri rolled her eyes but moved in anyway. "I kiss you because _I_ like it."

"Then have away, Tachi."

The kiss was just becoming _really_ good when the curtain was thrust opened, and they guiltily broke apart.

They turned their heads to find Bant standing there looking nonplussed.

Siri smiled. Obi-Wan scowled, and their oldest friend said with fake severity, "Be mindful of where you are, children."

"We are to be married," Obi-Wan told her simply.

"Mayhap, but until the deed is done…" Bant helped Siri from the bed. "Save the consummation for the wedding night. Please."

It was Kenobi's turn to blush, and the women in his life laughed.

Siri took pity on her lover and changed the subject. "Bant, how is Padmé?"

"Resting upstairs." Bant sobered and looked at her knowingly. "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Anakin."

Instantly alert, Obi-Wan raised himself. "Where is he?"

"In your chambers. He wanted to clean himself up before seeing the twins."

Bant turned to Siri. "He knows the truth, Siri. I sense it."

Siri's gaze snapped to Obi-Wan watching them quizzically. "My love…Remember what I told you that night in Commenor? About Anakin?"

Obi-Wan sighed. He nodded, "It is true then. You can sense it for certain?"

"Yoda told me this afternoon." Siri asked Bant, "Who do you think…?"

"The Sith. That's the only thing I can think of. No one but, obviously, Master Yoda knew assuredly."

The bitterness from the Mon-Calamarian was strange. "He…Anakin…will want to know the story." She looked at Obi-Wan almost apologetically. "I only know parts of it myself. Not about the…I know some of what happened between my master and yours, Obi-Wan. Anakin has the right to know…"

"I'll help you."

Siri helped him to stand. "Let me know how it goes."

Obi-Wan sharply glanced at her. "Where are you going?"

"I have to take Han home."

His look was stern and not meant to be doubted. "You will return here as soon as he's settled."

Siri nodded and quickly kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"And I you."

She left, and Bant walked with Obi-Wan to the lift. "I don't think I'm going to get used to seeing the two of you so…I cannot even describe it."

"You'll get used to it."

"You think so?"

"Bant, love, we won't give you any choice."

†

The water had at first been too hot. Now it grew cool as Anakin remained under the sanistream, his hands braced on the tiles in front of him.

He had nearly scrubbed his skin raw in his efforts to cleanse himself. The paint from his disguise had washed off easily. The dust and grime of his battle were rinsed away. If only he could get his conscience to flee down the drain as well.

Anakin felt the crushing weight of disbelief all over again. He went over the words in his head. He desperately tried to amend the disparities in his heart to belie the words. It could not be done. He would have to admit it. The Sith had not lied to him. Qui-Gon Jinn was his father. His mother…

Shmi…He missed her. Did she know?

Betrayal. What would he give not to know any of it. So much of his life was based on lies. The path of it had been unnecessarily wrought with misery. He knew he should rejoice at the news that a man he respected, a man he _loved_ had sired him. He would have, had the consequences of his absence not scarred him.

Anakin had made his life work out for the best. He could not complain, nor would he. He had everything he had ever wanted now. Friends, the Jedi Mastery…His beautiful wife and their extraordinary children. They had helped him with his troubles, brought him to a magnificent place of peace—more than he had ever thought he could have. He was a man who truly had everything.

Except his father.

Anakin sighed. His body rebelled against the frigid water, and he began to shiver.

It didn't matter.

He thought of Shmi. A wonderful mother who thought nothing of herself, only of her boy. She'd tried to shelter him. She had tried to protect him from all things, but she could not succeed. Their misfortune had been thrust upon them, and there had seemingly been no way out of it.

Until Qui-Gon Jinn stepped into that junk shop and changed the course of Anakin…and Shmi's lives forever.

Unbidden, Anakin remembered the feel of Watto's punishing hits to his small body.

Anakin clenched his chattering teeth against the memory.

"Qui-Gon," he whispered with grief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Out in the hall, Bant groaned with sympathy. "Poor Anakin."

Obi-Wan kept his feelings to himself and waved the door to his room open. They walked inside, and Bant glanced around. Anakin had strewn his clothes over the carpet as he had walked to the refresher. Obi-Wan slowly, as if in habit, bent to retrieve them. He stood there for a moment, folding each item methodically.

"Bant," he called softly. "Would you see if you can find him a change of clothes?"

"Sure." She stopped at the door. "Should I wait a few minutes before I return?"

"No." He tried to smile. "It will be fine. I just…He should have a fresh pair of clothes."

"I'll be back shortly."

"Thank you."

Bant walked out, the door sliding closed behind her, and Obi-Wan placed the worn garments into his hamper. He pulled his robe from the closet and stepped into the refresher, steam enveloping him despite the chill in the air.

"Anakin?"

There was no response. Obi-Wan opened the door to the stall. Anakin sat on the floor, knees to his chest and his arms around them. The water was turning his skin blue, but he didn't appear to notice. He stared blankly ahead of him.

Obi-Wan reached inside to shut off the stream and sat on his hunches. "Anakin?"

Teeth chattering, Anakin finally turned his head. He looked surprised. "Master?"

Obi-Wan sighed. He had seen that look in Anakin's eyes far too many times, and he reacted now as he had before, speaking to the man as though he were still his very young padawan. His tone was paternal, patient, and filled with affection.

"Come, my friend," he said and held out his hand. "We can talk."

Anakin looked confused. "Talk?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan smiled. "That usually helps, doesn't it?"

There was mercifully no denying that. "Yes."

"Then come. Stand up. You can put this on. Bant is coming with a change of clothes."

Anakin moved like a cipher, biddable and weak. Obi-Wan helped him to rise, and his arms went into the sleeves of Obi-Wan's serviceable robe. He numbly watched Obi-Wan belt it closed.

His voice was hoarse. "Did you know?"

Obi-Wan met his gaze and opened his mouth to answer, but Anakin answered himself.

"No," he replied adamantly, his stare strong. "You would have told me."

There was no hesitation. "Yes, Anakin. Had I known, I would have told you the truth."

_You are just as much a part of him as he is to you_, Qui-Gon had told him about Obi-Wan. _There is nothing you have to face, no challenge, where he would abandon you…_

"Thank you," Anakin gulped.

Obi-Wan led him out of the refresher and into the main living area. "I know you have a lot of questions, and I know that I will not be able to answer all of them. Bant will return momentarily, and she may be able to fill in some aspects."

He pointed to the sleeping couch. "Anakin, you're shivering. Here. Put this blanket around you. I'll go put on some tea."

"I'm not thirsty."

"It's not for you."

"Then pour me a cup."

Obi-Wan managed to smile on his way to the kitchen. Anakin was getting his lucidity back. He went through the motions of preparing the beverage and watched Anakin. "What would you like to know first?"

A difficult question. There was so much going through his mind at once. Where to begin?

"The Sith in the bunker told me that I was sired by a Master Jedi on a Master Jedi," Anakin told him. "If Qui-Gon…"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan softly assured him, "Qui-Gon _is_ your father."

He swallowed. "Who is…Who was the Master he…he…?"

The door slid open and Bant carried a Master's uniform inside. "Tahl, Master Jedi. Keeper of the Archives. _My_ Master."

Anakin frowned and watched her place the clothes next to him. She stroked his wet hair once and took a chair across from him. "_Kit_ was your master."

Reflexively, they bowed their heads in remembrance of their lost friend before continuing.

"Master Fisto became my master upon Master Tahl's death."

Anakin thought he should feel something, some kind of emotion upon that. He could not feel her loss. He did not know her. He had no memory of her.

He sought to remedy that.

"What was she like?" he asked the room.

"Incredibly smart," Bant replied, her large eyes appearing liquid. "She had a very meticulous and sharp memory for facts, details. If you ever needed to know everything about anything going on within the galaxy, she was your woman."

Anakin nodded, fascinated. His own ability to retain information was hindered by his near total indifference to much of it. He preferred to keep his mind on the things he took interest. That he could possess such a gift was useful. He should try to make an effort.

"I assume Qui-Gon and Tahl met here."

"Yes," Obi-Wan answered. "They were both brought here when they were infants—like Bant and myself."

Anakin looked at him. "And Siri."

"And Siri."

"She was brave." Bant was smiling now in reflection. "Our missions were…interesting. And she could pilot better than anyone else I know."

The look in her eyes changed to one of excitement and discovery. "Except _you_!"

Anakin smiled to indulge her. "That's nice. But I thought you said she was the keeper of the Archives."

"She wasn't always regulated to Temple." Obi-Wan brought the tray over to them and handed each of them a cup. "She was quite a mission Knight before she was injured."

"What happened to her?"

"She was blinded by the cut of a lightsaber," Bant explained. "It happened during a mission on Melida/Daan."

Anakin looked at his artificial arm and muttered, "She was maimed."

Obi-Wan and Bant exchanged a look, and Obi-Wan said, "Her hearing became more acute, however, and her Force-sensitivity continued to serve her well."

"Master Yoda gave her a droid to act as her personal assistant."

"Yes." Obi-Wan could not hide the hint of loathing in his voice when he added, "We found out later that the 2JTJ was planted by Xanatos."

"Qui-Gon's first apprentice?"

"And would be assassin."

Anakin looked back and forth between them. "So?"

"I do not believe that her death would have mattered much to her by then," Bant whispered sadly, her thoughts far away.

"What do you mean?"

Obi-Wan was looking at Bant, not Anakin. "You're thinking of New Apsolon."

"Her demise happened before then, Obi-Wan." She shook her head. "I cannot explain it."

Bant looked at Anakin. "Tahl had grown melancholy. Dejected. She took the mission without thinking. As she was ordered, but…I think she was knew she was going to…"

At once, Siri's actions on Korriban rose to Obi-Wan's mind and he muttered soberly, "Die."

Anakin remained impassive, "She was killed?"

"Yes. A man named Balog did it."

Anakin was not the only one getting the story today. Pieces of Obi-Wan's own past were finally being sewn together. He wanted the pattern logically followed to completion.

"She was still alive when Qui-Gon arrived on the scene," Obi-Wan said dazedly. He could still see it in his mind, and he automatically placed his actions on that salt bed in with the images of Qui-Gon above Tahl.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Comprehension soaked his brain. "He couldn't save her."

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan with wonder. His master looked nearly ill. "What did he do then, Master?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and met his gaze. "He almost murdered Balok there and then."

"But he didn't."

"He heard someone tell him not to, that it was wrong. He mustn't."

Bant said, "He thought it had been Obi-Wan."

"But it wasn't."

Recognition dawned on Anakin. "Tahl did."

"Her teachings and her studies did not fail her," Bant told him. "Nor her faith. When she became one with the Force, she knew the immortality of it as well. She could still reach him."

_Like my father can with me_, Anakin thought. Then, his expression became guarded. Why had his birth mother never tried to reach him?

Obi-Wan remembered how disconsolate his master had become after he lost Tahl. He had done what he thought he could to give him solace, but the pain of her loss had never left him.

After so many years, he was only beginning to understand it as well.

Anakin persevered. "They were close friends then."

"Yes," Bant replied. "You should have seen them before all the tragedies struck, Anakin. They were a pair."

Obi-Wan thought of his Siri, reflected on their lives together at Temple and smiled. "You seem to remember more about them when they were younger than I."

"Well," Bant sighed. "I must say, it was intriguing. How could it not be? Two Jedi…colleagues, friends—best friends. No one had ever dreamed Temple would be such a hot-bed of romance…"

"Romance?" Anakin and Obi-Wan exclaimed in unison.

Bant was taken aback. "Why…yes. I spent much of my developing years with Tahl, Obi-Wan. Didn't you know? Didn't you see it?"

"I knew that Qui-Gon cared for her, but…"

For Anakin, the inference equated much and the most to sharpen the blurred images racing through his brain.

_Master…have_ you _ever been in love?_

_Yes_.

His tone was revealing and filled with awe. "They were in love."

Incredulous, Bant reached out to hold Anakin's flesh hand between hers. "Ani…what did you think? Did you think you were some sort of scientific plot? You were a natural conception. You were the culmination of a very _human_ emotion and a very _human_ act of divinity. They loved each other very much."

A life-long paradigm broke in an instant for Obi-Wan. For Anakin, this new revelation filled him with pity and sorrow for two good, decent people who had not stood a chance against the cruel and antiquated codes of the Jedi Order.

Anakin did not have to hear further details from Bant as to what had happened between his mother and father. Knowing what he did of this lifestyle he could piece the rest of it together himself.

Qui-Gon and Tahl had been discovered by Yoda and the rest of the Council. It was _suggested_ that they put aside their love for the _good_ of the _Jedi_. Attachment was _dangerous_. _Leaving_ the Order would make them, inevitably, _miserable_.

Anger filled him. He sat there on his old sleep couch brimming with it. So a cycle had begun. Qui-Gon and Tahl. Obi-Wan and Siri.

Anakin and Padmé.

Anakin and his parents…who had conceived him in love. A love they'd been told would destroy them. It had, but not by the means Yoda must have intimated. His hypothesis would have been much kinder in its prettier delusion, but it still would not have been the truth.

Obi-Wan's thoughts were similar. "Did Yoda confront them?"

Bant was oblivious to their thoughts but moaned her regret. "I do not know. Tahl disappeared for a time, Ani. That must have been when she discovered you existed."

For the first time, Anakin saw his birth mother's image. Alone and frightened, Tahl had wandered the Outer Rim searching for the means to provide her child with a safe and healthy delivery. She had wanted to find a vessel—a strong, healthy and mostly, kind, vessel to carry her and Qui-Gon's seed.

Enter Shmi Skywalker.

The pain and confusion hit Anakin square between the eyes. Tahl had loved him. Tahl had given up her son to protect Qui-Gon from the disapproving Council. It had tortured her knowing what she must do to save them all and being utterly horrified at not being allowed to raise her own child.

Tahl had loved Qui-Gon, and she had loved Anakin.

Had the Jedi Council not interfered, what would there lives be now? How different could it have been?

Everything coming into focus was piercing, and Anakin knew Obi-Wan felt it too. How much pain could have avoided in the single act of compassion Yoda had failed to bestow upon his knights?

Their love had not been immoral, but their break up had been calamitous.

His voice was vibrating with barely controlled fury. "Their lives here were made up of stolen moments hidden from view. They skulked about like thieves for so much as a glimpse of each other. They had to pretend around the people they cared most about in this world, and they had to hide nearly every feeling they had to keep from being found out."

Anakin thought of the past three years and Padmé.

They were just like he and Padmé.

"Before Maul on Naboo. Before Ventress and the cliff…" He turned to Obi-Wan. "What was the worst moment of your life?"

Obi-Wan knew where he was leading. "Anakin, I know you're angry…"

"You feel it too," Anakin seethed. "Don't tell me you don't. You've gone twenty years without her, Obi-Wan. For no good reason."

Obi-Wan would not lie to him. There would be healing with the anger, but he doubted Anakin would appreciate that right now. Perhaps it needed to be this way.

The man had a right to vent. And Obi-Wan would not nay-say him.

"The day in the Room of A Thousand fountains," he answered. "But Anakin, it was Qui-Gon who orchestrated that."

"Only because he thought he was speaking from experience. He would never willingly cause you pain, but he had been brainwashed into believing your forfeit of Siri would be for the best. He took counsel from someone who never allowed him to know he'd fathered a son!"

Bant tried to calm him. "Anakin, you don't know why Yoda kept the truth from you."

He stood and snatched the clothes from beside him. "Then I will ask him."

"Anakin, wait!" Obi-Wan beseeched him. "Calm down. Please! It will not serve you to barge into Master Yoda's chambers in a rage. You must calm down."

"I am not strong like you, Obi-Wan." Anakin brought a shaking hand to Bant's shoulder. "And I'm not kind and patient like you, Bant."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Please give him a chance to explain his side. Please? You may find out that his intentions were very good ones. Master Yoda has always protected us. That is _his_ attachment."

Logic was not Anakin's closest ally at the moment, and he was unbelievably aware that it should be. That was saying something given the fury he felt.

If he sought to get the gift of truth from the only living horse, he couldn't very well kick it in the teeth.

Obi-Wan saw the change in him and nearly collapsed with relief. "Calm down. Please. I will go with you, but you must clear your mind."

Anakin knew he was right, but the weight of hurt and grief plagued him like a rash.

He shook his head again with amazement. "They were in love, Obi-Wan."

Bant looked on them with sympathy as he finished, "Like me and Padmé. Like you and Siri. But _they_ never stood a chance."

Neither Obi-Wan or Bant could find an argument for that.


	38. Picking Up the Pieces

The Jedi Change

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. The characters of Tahl and Siri Tachi belong to Jude Watson.

Chapter Thirty-Eight- Picking Up the Pieces

_Strength over fear. _That was where Yoda's failure had begun. He had taught the Jedi that the future was unpredictable, far from having concrete determinatives and yet he had permitted very cloudy images of such visions to make his arguments on at least two occasions. He had dismissed his power for logic and had acted on his irrational fear of the future when he had counseled Qui-Gon Jinn all those years ago.

That his words of advice had been ignored had insulted him. He then acted on his irritation with Jinn from being treated thusly and unwittingly created a cycle of needless suffering that he would be paying for any moment now with the arrival of Skywalker and Kenobi to his chambers. Yoda could not give them platitudes. He could offer no adequate apology. He could not take back the past. Nothing he could do would adequately repair the damage.

Yoda had never felt guilt. Even now, he was not certain that it could be named if he did. He recognized the faults of his attachment. It had come nearly twenty-four years too late. He accepted that the Jedi were changing now. To have done so two decades ago would have been preposterous. Anakin's total lack of regard for the rules had brought about the changes, but Yoda could not see any real damage to be done by it—the young man's present and residual anger notwithstanding.

Yoda did something he never thought to do, would never admit. He wondered, _what if_? What if he had encouraged Qui-Gon and Tahl? What if he had let Obi-Wan and Siri marry twenty years ago? What if he had combed the galaxy searching for the boy Tahl had surrendered? What if, what if, _what if_?

These ruminations would not serve him. His memories were never anything but fresh to him. He felt for Skywalker. He felt for Kenobi and Siri. There would be nothing he could see in his subconscious that was not anticipated. Their anger was stifling, but still nothing compared to their pity. Not for themselves, but their much-loved, much-suffered master.

Once more, Yoda tried summoning Qui-Gon. There was no response, and he did not know whether his call was simply unheard or his request for aid was being deliberately rejected. Perhaps it was for the best. Qui-Gon had every reason to abandon him in this. Though he suspected that was not the case.

"Want to speak with you as well, he will," Yoda said aloud.

Skywalker's R2 unit hummed a reply.

"Carry, you do, pictures with the story. From the Archives, downloaded you have?"

The affirmative cry sounded woeful.

"Know how you feel, I do."

Yoda sighed. Qui-Gon could not offer much himself. It had taken becoming one with the Force to know he was a father. The truth came to him when he'd had no time at all to take comfort in it. There was nothing he could do about it. But Qui-Gon was older than Anakin. He had been raised since birth under the care of the Jedi. He understood more even if he did not agree.

Yoda let himself feel for the past again. He saw the ghosts. He felt the stirring, haunting echoes of limitless, all-consuming love. Three couples, five Jedi.

All human.

That may be what struck Yoda the most about his mistakes. His inability to understand that their feelings were very human and beyond his scope of experience for being such. Yoda knew the Whills. Yoda knew the Jedi. He even knew the Sith.

Love, the definition of romantic attachment was beyond him.

That was a sad thing indeed.

†

Anakin felt Obi-Wan's tension as they walked together down the concourse.

"You do not have to come along, Master, if it makes you uncomfortable," Anakin offered politely. "I understand."

"Do you, Anakin?" Obi-Wan wondered. "This will not be easy."

A beat, then Anakin supplemented, "No. It will not."

"He is in pain."

"No more than he deserves."

"Anakin." Obi-Wan tapped his hand on his shoulder to stop him. His expression was filled with sympathy. "I know you are furious that he kept this from you, but I want you to think about what you are going to hear in there. Are you prepared for this? Truly?"

There was no heat in Anakin's answer, only resignation. "Obi-Wan, have you given any thought to the possibility that had you been allowed to make Siri yours all those years ago, you could have a child my age? Or close to me? We could have trained together."

No, that had not occurred to Obi-Wan. The image was a striking blow to his heart.

A child of his own. What a wonderful thing. He looked at Anakin, the glint in his eyes, and he said, "That would be…it would have been lovely."

"He must be confronted, Obi-Wan," came the retort. "It is a responsibility only he will bear, and he must own it. Yoda cannot have any further privileges to manipulate us. I will not have Luke or Leia be taught that their feelings are irrelevant. I will not allow them to be separate from the rest of the Jedi because their father was considered reckless and headstrong. I do not want them…singled-out because I broke the Jedi Code of attachment. Do you understand me?"

Anakin began to walk again. "I cannot do anything for Qui-Gon or Tahl, but my children will know that their grandparents did nothing wrong. By the Force, I _swear_ it, they will never have to be confronted with the choices we were given."

That fervent statement was met with a look of stark amazement on Obi-Wan's face.

So the source of Anakin's beleaguered calm had not come from age or experience or close proximity to his master. It was his children. He wanted the truth from Yoda for selfish reasons, of course, and there was no denying that. But the patience he exerted on the way to getting it was from the need, his instinct to –when all was said and done—protect his children.

_Maturity becomes him_, Obi-Wan thought.

Anakin turned back. "You coming?"

Satisfied with his reasoning, Obi-Wan caught up to him. "I will stand with you, Anakin. I will always stand with you."

Anakin tried to smile as they closely approached Yoda's private hall. "That is the hallmark of any entrance we make it seems."

"Terrible things do seem to occur much more frequently when we part. You think the Force is trying to tell us something?"

"Whatever it is, I'm not listening."

Obi-Wan stopped before Yoda's door. "Why would you?"

"Exactly." Anakin raised his hand to knock. "What is the etiquette for a situation like this?"

"That you haven't kicked the door down yet is a fine example that we're following it, whatever it is. A knock may not be necessary."

"He feels us."

"Yes."

"Reluctant to see us?"

"Wouldn't you be in his position?"

"Yoda has never been afraid of anything," Anakin muttered.

"You're wrong. He is constantly afraid of anything destructing the Jedi Order, us, his Jedi Knights. That is in essence why we are here."

"There's that 'road to hell' again."

"Paved with good intentions…Knock. Let's get this over with."

The door slid opened and they exchanged a look.

"Banter in here for privacy," Yoda called out.

Anakin peered into the darkened room. They stepped inside and the door closed behind them in a whisper of sound.

The blinds were drawn, and they saw Yoda sitting on a small, cushioned chair across from R2D2.

"Why is Artoo here?"

"Need him, we will, to help you understand."

"We, or you?"

"Anakin."

Yoda ignored the question. "Sit, please."

"This isn't a social call, Master Yoda."

"A long story, it is. Comfortable, you may as well be."

Obi-Wan directed him to the floor, and they sat together facing their diminutive master. Artoo glided over and beeped. Anakin looked at the tray on his domed head and plucked the cups of tea, absently handing one to Obi-Wan.

"I believe I'll need something stronger than sapir," Anakin mumbled.

"Stronger than sapir, it is," Yoda replied.

Anakin glanced into the cup and took a suspicious sniff. "You wouldn't try to poison us would you, Master?"

"Sew your lips shut to tell my side I should," Yoda glared. "Make you welcomed, all I thought."

"I will not apologize for my doubt, Yoda." He met his gaze levelly.

"And never for your temper."

"It is mine to reign. That I have waited this long today to meet with you should indicate that I am to be taken very seriously in this matter."

Yoda nodded. It was with pride he said, "Your patience to be commended, it is."

Anakin shrugged off the praise. "When I am upset, my children sense it. They feel what I do. They're too young to control their emotions, and I will not upset their peace."

He set the untouched tea on the floor. "Where should I start?"

"May I?"

That the master was asking permission startled the knights. Anakin's voice was surprisingly tender. "Of course."

Yoda took a deep breath and rested his folded hands atop his gimmer stick.

"For a thousand years," Yoda began. "The Jedi Knights have served as the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy. Our duty, it was, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Our privilege to secure their rights of liberty and pursuit of happiness.

That we could not protect our own, sad it makes me…Heartbreaking to know that I have failed. Unfortunate that you must know…"

"What?" Anakin prompted when he paused. "Unfortunate that we come for the truth from you? That you are being forced to take responsibility for your actions?"

"Unfortunate that you must know the truth and unfortunate that you seek to right a wrong unattainable to you. Be fixed, it cannot, Anakin. No matter how I wish it so. And I do. For you, Anakin. For you, Obi-Wan. And for Qui-Gon and Tahl."

"Master." Obi-Wan leaned forward. "Were you aware that their friendship had surpassed itself? Did you know that their attachment was romantic?"

"Know it, I did not. Sense the bond forming, I did, but uncertain I was."

"Qui-Gon never came to you with the revelation."

"Come to me with _that_ you believe, Master Kenobi?"

_Don't go against Council again, Master. I beseech you._

Obi-Wan heard his constant adolescent refrain in his head and answered, "No. I suppose not."

"Took one another, they did. Pledged to hold on to their love for all time."

Anakin paled and whispered with sorrow. "They married."

Obi-Wan's expression was just as sympathetic but also knowing. Their lives were intersecting with Qui-Gon's. He faced Anakin. "They did it in secret. Far away so the Jedi could not feel them."

"The wiser, none of us were. Blind to it. Determined we were that such vows would never be uttered amongst us."

Yoda motioned his small hand to the astromech in the corner, and the first security hologram obtained by the Jedi Archives' memory played. Yoda looked at Obi-Wan and introduced the scene with a despondent commentary, "But one, they were…their love grew stronger…richer…every day, it did."

_Qui-Gon snatched her around the waist, and Tahl chuckled softly as he kissed her and pulled her to safety behind the rose bush. _

_"Qui-Gon," she laughed. "You mustn't!"_

_He glanced quickly around them. "No one is watching."_

_She tapped his shoulder with the rose she held. She said in a whisper, "Someone is always watching."_

_"All right then. I do not care." He kissed her again. "I needed to see you."_

_Tahl wrapped her arms around his neck, giving in. "I feel like I haven't seen you in years."_

_"You haven't."_

_"It's been exactly four hours."_

_"Four hours too long." Qui-Gon held her tight, burying his face in her thick dark hair. "Meet me again tonight."_

_"I can't," she told him with regret. "There are the padawan inductions tonight."_

_"After," he told her. "Meet me at the usual place."_

_"Qui-Gon, I cannot leave Bant alone a second night in a row. Someone will get suspicious."_

_"They're sending me away tomorrow, Tahl." His look indicated that he was far from pleased. "Obi-Wan and I have a new mission."_

_Her expression belied her indifferent tone. "For how long?"_

_He shook his head. "I do not know. I will try to contact you, but…"_

_She placed a finger over his lips. Her smile was filled with regret. "We knew it would be like this, Qui-Gon. We cannot lament it now. We have what we have, and it's the best we can hope for."_

_"For now." Qui-Gon took her hand at his lips between his and kissed their intertwined fingers. "We will not hide from them forever, Tahl. We'll find a way. I promise."_

_She didn't agree or disagree. Instead, she replied, "You will take care? You will come back to me?"_

_Their lips met from sheer determination. When they again broke apart, Qui-Gon spoke his assurance. "You have my heart, Tahl. I will always come back to you."_

"Enough," Anakin uttered brokenly.

The image disappeared, and he turned to Yoda. "That moment was private."

"Wanted to see, you did, Anakin. Understand, you must."

"I don't need the images to know how they felt," he said. "I know…I know _exactly_ how they felt."

He thought of his own moments with Padmé in dark corners, behind rose bushes, in abandoned alleys. _Any_where they could not be seen. They had accepted any means to find time alone. Their desperation grew with time, along with their frustration. But as Tahl had said, they had known what their lives would be like when they broke the codes to wed.

How foolish to think the fraud would ever be livable for the long run.

"She was pretty." Anakin used that to center his focus again.

Tahl had the same dark hair, the same kind and dark eyes of Shmi. They could almost be sisters. Perhaps that was another reason Tahl had chosen his mother to bear him. Maybe it made it easier for her to imagine that she really did give birth to him, had nurtured him within her womb. He hoped it had. He would do anything to take some of the sadness from her. He wished he could go back and bring her some measure of serenity.

Obi-Wan asked, "When did it change for them, Master? Do you know? If they had not gone to you, since you claim you were not aware of their relationship, when could it have fallen apart for them?"

"Reviewed the holograms, I have. The closest I can determine…distant she became after Melida/Daan."

Anakin closed his eyes. "After she was blinded. She hated it."

Obi-Wan frowned, "I did not sense anything strange about them. I remember that time. I may have been ignorant to the depth of their feelings, but he did not scorn her…"

"No. Scorn her, he would never. Loved her more, he did, for her courage to live with it."

Anakin nodded with certainty. "But she hated the disability more for all his attention it brought. She was afraid it was pity. She could never bear pity. Especially from him."

"She must have gotten over that," Obi-Wan whispered with hope. "She must have."

"Know, I do not. Pursue her, he did."

Anakin closed his eyes and reached into the Force. When he spoke, it was as if he was distant from them. The pictures in his head were vivid enough that he could almost believe he stood with his parents at the moments of their worst personal trials.

"He pursued her relentlessly. She would push him away. He would hold on to her. She would spit at him, and he would kiss the tears from her eyes. The love had become…_unbearable_. They allowed themselves one more time together. It would be their farewell."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin's features tighten, his jaw working. He could not tell if what he felt was his distress or that of his parents.

There was pain. There was _tremendous_ pain. It had become too difficult to hide their secret. Their efforts to gain more time were increasingly thwarted by the range of disputes in the galaxy. They were spending more and more time apart. Days stretched to weeks then to outrageously long months. It had become too much to bear.

It was better to live their lives apart, hopefully as the friends they had been before their vows. So it was agreed that Qui-Gon and Tahl would forever live by the Codes of the Jedi Order and not by their bonds of love. They knew how to exist under the Codes. It was easy. It was routine. It was painless to just go with the motions.

"They parted," Anakin groaned hoarsely, his eyes opened, and swiping at his eyes. "They parted but not before I was conceived."

He glared at Yoda. "And that is when Tahl came to you. Isn't it?"

"Yes."

"What did you say to her?"

"Know you think convince her I did to be rid of you," Yoda said softly. "Guilty of that, I am not. My sin, graver it was, by doing nothing. I did nothing."

†

_Tahl followed Yoda's essence into his simple living quarters. Her shoulders were hunched. He had sensed her before she knocked on his door. Her fear was intense and consuming. There was a desperation about her that he had never experienced from a knight. He wondered how she could feel such darkness when the aura around her was strangely, but unquestioningly, beautiful._

_"Most pleasant this is to see you, Master Tahl," Yoda welcomed her. He kept his tone light. "Not often we can visit. A lack to be filled, hmm?"_

_She smiled to pamper him, but it did not meet her eyes. "These are difficult times, Master. I'm afraid my absences from Temple will continue. But I am sorry that we haven't had much time together."_

_Yoda was quiet for a moment, watching her. "Troubled, you are. Wish to talk about it? Help you, I can."_

_She tensed when he took her hand to lead her to a chair, but she complied and sat down. Deeply concerned, he didn't release her. _

_"Tell me you can, Master Tahl. Between us, it shall stay."_

_Her reticence made her manner slow. "I…I do not know what to say. I cannot…I do not have the words."_

_Yoda placed her hand between his. "In pain you are. Why, I would know. Be afraid, you needn't."_

_ Tahl's sightless eyes were fixed ahead, and she wet her lips. She appeared to be choosing her words with great deliberation. "I am in a situation uncommon for those of the Jedi Order."  
_

_Yoda nodded patiently. "Not many predicaments exist that have yet to touch at least one of the Jedi, no. This situation, Tahl. Place you in danger?"_

_Her sadness swamped them both. "My whole life has been shaped by the traditions and teachings of the Jedi. I have tried to lead a good and disciplined life in conjunction with the Force. I believe I have been a faithful servant to It. I have had a decent life here. You, the Council, all of my brothers and sisters, you're wonderful. You have been good to me. I have no right to expect something more."_

_Puzzled, Yoda said softly, "It is only natural to question what else there is. This feeling you have, not uncommon. Neither a flaw. Variety, complexities you have witnessed in your travels and experiences with other cultures. Seen much. Your curiosity, a healthy instinct it is."_

_"Healthy…Happy it may be. But forbidden to me. Everything I know logically of attachment, I am having difficulty in practice."_

_"Attachment. The depth of which, harmful to you?"_

_"You tell me, Master."_

_Yoda was patient. "Attachment, dangerous it can be, Tahl. Treacherous, it is. Attachment leads to possession. Possession breeds jealousy. Jealousy promotes anger…"_

_"Anger to hate, hate to fear. It is the path to the Dark Side of the Force. These things I know."_

_"Sense your fear I do. Obvious it is. To what do you call your attachment?"_

_"Not what. Whom. To whom do I call this attachment. I feel conflict. I feel despair. But, Master, with it is immeasurable happiness."_

_Tahl had no idea how to do this so she simply blurt, "Something has happened. Something…wonderful. I am pregnant, Yoda."_

_The admission pierced his core and she felt his shock. "I carry a child, Master. Help me."_

_Yoda struggled with his thoughts. She knew it. "How?"_

_"I was not harmed, Master," Tahl tried to assure him. "It was not a forced encounter. I…I am in love."_

_She was not sure which disturbed him more—the child or the attachment. "I carry the child of Qui-Gon Jinn."_

_"Qui-Gon?" Vocal evidence of his broken serenity finally took his voice. _

_"Master…you had to have known. I love him, but we…we are Jedi. We belong to the Jedi Order. I can offer you no contrition for feeling the way I do for him, nor can I give you regret. But knowing that this disappoints you, for that, I am sorry, Master."_

_Yoda knew she could not see his face. She could only feel him. Her Force-perceptions were perhaps as acute as his. He knew it._

_"Why come to me have you, if with no regret you have for breaking the codes of this Order? Why is Master Qui-Gon not with you?"_

_"He is innocent in this, Yoda."_

_"Essential he was to your situation. Innocent, he is certainly not."_

_"On the contrary. He has no knowledge of the child."_

_"I see."_

_"He can't know, Master. He can never know."_

_His eyes grew enormous. "Tell him, you must, Master Tahl."_

_"No, Master." Her composure crumbled, and she stood to pace. "It's good that he's on assignment. It gives me the time to…"_

_"To what?" he snapped with unusual panic. "What plan do you?"_

_She whirled in his direction. "To protect my baby."_

_"Your baby, safe it is. Tahl, help you I can…"_

_"Tell me. I want to believe. How can you help me?"_

_"In Temple, stay. We can…"_

_"No! No, Master. Qui-Gon would find out."_

_"Reasonable, you be. Please. The father he is."_

_"It isn't safe here!"_

_"Safer here than anywhere else, Master Tahl." Her mania moved him. He did not understand it._

_Tahl collapsed onto her knees before him. Her shaking hands reached for him, and he took them, pet them, trying to soothe her. _

_"You were right," she cried, nodding her head. "Attachment is dangerous, Master. You were right, and I will pay the consequences. My baby…he doesn't have to and neither will Qui-Gon. Master, don't you understand? I cannot stay here."_

_"Protect you, protect the child, the Jedi will…"  
_

_"Oh Master, please!" She jeered in desperation. "We broke our codes! The Council would never…We betrayed all of you!"_

_"Shh, Master Tahl. It's all right…"  
_

_"You know what it will be like. You may not condemn me, but the rest of them will. You know it. My baby will be…different."_

_"The child a Jedi will be," he countered. "Powerful…"_

_"Powerful?" She spat. "Yes, he will be powerful. He will be powerful, and they will resent him for it."_

_"Revered, he would be."_

_"He'll be ostracized. He'll be ridiculed for the circumstances of his birth." _

_Her tone let him know she would not be persuaded otherwise. It seemed her impression of her peers was marked permanently in the negative._

_ "I am a student of the Jedi Order. I cannot change a millennia of tradition. I cannot try. I do not have the time." She gripped his hands. "You will have no choice but to expel us. This is the only life Qui-Gon and I have ever known, but my baby has the chance to lead an unburdened existence. He can be free."_

_"A Jedi he is. It is his destiny."_

_"I cannot do anything about his midichlorian count," she replied with new distaste. _

_She pulled away from him and stood. "You don't wish to help me, do you? You want him. You want the _Jedi_. You don't care about the _child_."_

_Yoda was so appalled by the statement, he could not find the words to articulate it. _

_"I am a human being first, Yoda," Tahl went on. "So is my baby. He need not have a life separate from human emotion. He has the chance to be free. He has the chance of normality. He should go to school and learn of other cultures than that of the Jedi Order. He should be free to experience life without restrictions. He can be taught that love is not an immoral thing. It doesn't have to lead to destruction."_

_"What you plan, what you seek…how is that not destruction to you?"_

_"Will the rules change just for us, Master?" she countered icily. "No, they will not. Do not try to persuade me that they will. We will not be accepted. We will not be celebrated. We will be reviled for demolishing the foundations of everything the Jedi represent. The mysteries of attachment are not lost on you. You will be wondering where the breaking point will come. You will be looking for the other shoe to drop—what would trigger my fall to the Dark Side? When will the line between love and hate evaporate? How much would Jinn and Tahl do to protect themselves? When would they become selfish? _

_Those questions are too easy to answer for myself. I am a woman and a mother. My child will come first. And not even you will be able to understand that. _

_ And lest we forget, the Jedi have enemies, Yoda. There is that to consider. His Force-sensitivity will be felt. His strength could be made his weakness. He would be hunted." Tahl said the last on a surge of terror._

_"Know that you cannot," Yoda argued._

_"Promise me it will not, you cannot guarantee me, Yoda. I want him to live, Master. If I cannot give him the promise of a normal life, I shall find someone who can."_

_"But…Qui-Gon…a choice in this he has!"_

_Her visage became that of unspeakable tragedy. "We made the choice of abiding the codes. We have renewed our vows to the Order. We cannot change our minds again. We belong here. Qui-Gon would do as he is bidden, but I cannot risk the same fate that he and I have suffered would not harm my child. I will not do it."_

_"Keep this from him, I cannot," Yoda told her with regret. "He must know."_

_"He will not find out, and I _will_ have your word on the matter."_

_"Love him, you claim," Yoda uttered with incredulity. "Do this to him, how can you?"_

_"_Because_ I love him," she answered, her tone once again soft. "This is the only life we have ever known. The Jedi Order is his life. I cannot take him from it. And we cannot raise our baby here, together. It's to…unthinkable."_

_Then she took a deep breath and her manner left no room for bargaining. "So you have a choice, Master. You can keep my secret and lose only one Jedi. Or you can betray my trust, as I have admittedly betrayed yours but then instead of losing one, you will lose us both. Free my child. Help me. Help me give him life, and I will come back here. I will come back here, and I will continue to serve the Order."_

_Yoda had never felt more useless. He wanted to understand. He wanted to help _her_ understand. She was too distraught. She was not thinking rationally. He sought to strike a compromise. _

_He kept his tone calm as he told her, "Make your decision now, do not. Stay here tonight. Please, Tahl. Should this be what you still want tomorrow, go with you I will, away from Temple. Safe, your secret will remain. Provide for you, I can. Whatever you need, I can give you."_

_Tahl shook her head. "You cannot make that concession, Yoda. Your presence…you cannot keep him safe. It must be this way."_

_"Just…sleep on it. Tahl, please…Just for tonight…Let me help you."_

†

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan beside him. "Master…what do you think Qui-Gon would have done had he known? Do you think he would have remained with the Jedi?"

Obi-Wan remembered Qui-Gon's words to him that day in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He had been told that to leave the Jedi Order would surely become his greatest regret. He would end up miserable. He and Siri would not know what to do.

He shook his head. "I cannot answer that. When he realized Siri and I were in love, he warned me against leaving. I do not know if his advice would have been the same had he known of your existence. We never will."

Obi-Wan cleared his clogged throat. He turned to Anakin, his voice husky. "Tahl could not have foreseen Shmi's purchase into slavery, Anakin. Or yours."

Anakin was hunched over, his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. He could feel her. He could feel Tahl as if she were still in the room. She had truly believed that relinquishing him had been her only path. She had been made to by a lifetime of zealot spiritual pacts and unconscionable rules of supposed proper conduct.

"The damn codes," he muttered with venom, trying desperately to contain his anger. He glared at Yoda with fire in his eyes. "How could you continue to perpetuate that nonsense! How could you look at what it was doing to her and not know it could be changed?"

"The nature of her response, an example of the severity of attachment it was, Anakin. Her desperation, a testament to hazard. To discern a clear resolution, a fair path, impossible it was."

Anakin's expression hardened, and his voice deepened with disgust. "So again you took the pious ground beneath relic policies over faith in your own students' abilities to make the right decisions while following their hearts and maintain principles in the use of our gifts. At least your miserable hypocrisies are consistent."

Yoda sighed. "Tahl not the best example for your case against me, Anakin."

"She was terrified, and you knew it. Having never experienced it, she was vulnerable to its consumption of her. At least you called it correctly. You did nothing. You did nothing to help her. You only intimidated her by touting the Jedi code. She should have stayed away from here. You should have never again been graced by her presence. But she returned, as you wanted. Then shortly after, she gave her own life to serve you."

Yoda stared at him, his eyes wet. He bowed his head. Obi-Wan felt himself overwhelmed by emotion as well. It was about to get worse for his friend. This last truth would hurt him a great deal. He only hoped Anakin could maintain whatever he was using to keep his head clear.

"Anakin," he began carefully. "The Council was not aware of Tahl's last mission. She took it on her own. It was not approved by the Masters."

"What are you talking about? Bant said Tahl did as she was ordered."

"Bant did not know any better. Qui-Gon and I went after Tahl only because he sensed her…She was in trouble."

"Never would I have sent her to her death," Yoda added. The Jedi Master had never looked more despondent. "Never would I have agreed to such a mission in her state, Anakin."

Anakin thought more about what Bant had said happened to Tahl before her death.

_Her demise happened before then. I cannot explain it._

"Tahl's depression…suffered too much she did," Yoda told him. "Fight it, she could no longer."

Obi-Wan understood so much more then than he ever wanted to. "She could not bear to live any longer without Qui-Gon or you, Anakin. She freed you both the only way she thought she could. And she freed herself as well."

Anakin crumpled and he gave up damming the misery inside him. "And in one last stand for her Jedi nature, she went down fighting for a good cause."

A sob escaped him. "The Force took her."

"Embrace her It did, Anakin," Yoda replied softly. "Protecting her then as It could not before."

"Her decision to protect me _doomed_ her, Yoda!" Anakin cried in anguish and pity.

"No!" Yoda denied hotly. "Her sacrifice no poor reflection on you, and accept it as such you will not. Strength it took to do what she did. Fallen easily to the Dark Side she could have. Used her fear, used her anger to destroy all of you, she could have. Her love for you, her love for Qui-Gon stronger. What she thought she must to spare you, she did."

"Her death nearly destroyed Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan declared, the lessons taken. "It filled him with rage, Yoda. He almost committed murder, and your theories opposing attachment would have been validated. Not even Master Windu there with us could hold him back. It took Tahl whispering from the Force to do it. Is that why you pressed the code? Is that why you kept me from Siri?"

Yoda bowed his head again. "So sorry I am for not seeing it sooner. Much I could have spared you all."

Obi-Wan heartily agreed. There was so much time wasted. It infuriated him. He knew Anakin was too overwrought to continue, but he would pursue it. They would have to reach an understanding with the Jedi Grand Master. This cycle must be broken. The Jedi would have no other choice but to accept a new regime.

"Master, why did you not tell Qui-Gon the truth once Tahl had passed?" he asked. "Why did you continue to keep him unaware of his son's existence?"

"By then, Tahl, guarded Anakin well she did," Yoda offered. "My promise to her, I could only keep."

"Unacceptable," Obi-Wan spat. "You said yourself that he had a right to know. Your promise cannot be your crutch. If Anakin's presence could not be felt, you should have searched for it. You should have presented him to Qui-Gon and…"

"Forced Anakin to live a life within Temple walls that his mother had been adamantly against? This life, Tahl had not wanted for him."

"But fate played its hand and Qui-Gon found him and brought him here anyway. You knew it as soon as we had arrived from Tatooine, didn't you? You knew Anakin was Qui-Gon's son."

"However misguided I was, seek to protect you all I wanted!"

Anakin chortled caustically, "You were caught in a conflict of regulations. In your 'protection' of us, we suffered. When you were oblivious to our actions, we suffered. At least in the times of your ignorance we were responsible for ourselves. Our choices were ours to make, and we did not fail you."

"Permitted your massacre of the Tuskens my failure to protect Tahl and you did," Yoda opposed stonily and watched Anakin's eyes widen with surprise. "Knew what you had done to them, I did. Take that upon myself, I will. Take contradiction in a reprehensible excuse from you for doing it, I will not."

"I cannot forgive myself for that, and I never will. But that it was my choice albeit a despicable one, I will not apologize for. You refused to carry faith in us. You were protecting us less, the Order more. You are not going to convince me that your motives are entirely unselfish. I don't buy it."

"Need to defend myself for wanting to preserve an Order, the sanctity of our religion that has stood for a thousand years, I do not!"

"This is getting us nowhere!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

The temperature in the room was rising along with the tempers of its occupants.

"Every argument we confront with each other is validated by its opposition. All of our points meet and contradict. Everything stays moot." Obi-Wan shook his head with the frustration. "We are all right."

Anakin gulped in oxygen. Obi-Wan was right. There was no way to determine that his life or the course of it could have been decidedly different had Yoda not continued his deception. To hold on to his anger was counterproductive. He could not do anything to change what had already happened. He could not do anything but make certain the mistakes of the past would never be repeated. He would do that for himself and his family.

He would protect Luke and Leia by letting them go, in a sense. He would preserve their birthright, but he would do so on his terms. When they were old enough to think for themselves, he would be there for guidance. He would take responsibility for shaping their beliefs by teaching them the wisdom that also accompanied free will. He would allow them to make their own decisions and have faith those decisions would be the right ones.

He would not interfere, nor would he impose upon them theories no one could ever hope to back without clear evidence. Visions of the future were unclear, yes. But no one would rob him of the belief that those visions were not necessarily ones of impending doom and misery. He would be positive. There was no fate. No destiny but what they made.

Anakin cleared his throat. "It appears we are at a stalemate."

He glanced at Yoda. "I came here thinking that I was going to pounce on you and wring your neck, Master. It seems my attachment to my children has shorted the inclination. How's that for irony?"

One thing Yoda did know with absolute certainty was that he would never comprehend Skywalker's mercurial changes in mood.

Yoda sighed. "Your father brought you here because he believed you were the prophecy of the Whills. Know the passage, do you?"

Obi-Wan gave a ghost of a smile. Reading had never been a favored pastime of his former padawan's. Anakin had always preferred physical activity of Force-practice than Its academic teachings.

He was about to answer, but Anakin said, "I know it. 'Time of despair, there shall come a savior'."

Anakin gave them a level look. "I'm no savior. I'm a merely a man, but I have brought balance to the Force. And I did it bearing two gifts: Luke and Leia. I dare say I…with more than a modicum of assistance from my _wife_, have brought about the means to a new and improved Jedi Order. One that makes sense, Master Yoda."

Yoda sat back and eyed him speculatively. "What do you want?"

"Luke and Leia will reside with me and Padmé outside of Temple, but will be schooled here beginning their third standard year."

"As you wish."

"When they are ready, the choice of their Masters to oversee their padawan apprenticeships shall be mine alone."

"A Master yourself and their father."

Anakin found his humility discomfiting but appropriate. "I cannot guarantee my objectivity. I must be fair. Their education will be better served under someone else, but I will reserve the right to give my opinions."

"Reasonable that is."

Obi-Wan watched the byplay with wonder and remained silent.

Anakin wasn't finished declaring his conditions of armistice. "Obi-Wan gets to marry Siri with the blessing of every single council member and with full Jedi regalia."

At that, Obi-Wan straightened to interject for himself. "Anakin…"

"Have it, they shall," Yoda replied.

"I mean total pomp and circumstance, Yoda. They deserve it for being good little padawans for the last twenty years."

_Pomp and circumstance?_ Obi-Wan blanched. "Anakin, we don't need…"

"Hush, Master," Anakin chided in an exaggerated whisper. "I'm on a roll."

"Done," Yoda asserted.

"I believe Siri and I will plan our own wedding," Obi-Wan protested, standing and staring down at them. "I think I would have preferred for the two of you to have strangled each other."

He stomped away from them, and Yoda frowned. "Where do you go?"

"To warn Siri."

Obi-Wan fled the room, and Anakin's smile faded. He faced Yoda with renewed sobriety.

"Your forgiveness still uncertain I deserve," Yoda told him.

Anakin had wanted the truth from Yoda. He had gotten it, but it had reminded him that he was not entirely innocent. If he could not allow Yoda his delusions of always being right, he could not permit himself the favor.

"The people who injure us may not deserve our forgiveness, but we give it because _we_ need it. Because it is the right thing to do."

Anakin took a deep breath and explained, "You and me, we're not innocent in this tale. Qui-Gon and Tahl could have chosen the Order instead of their passion. Tahl could have made another choice. She could have accepted your help when you offered it to her. The only ones who are without blame are Obi-Wan and Siri. The only true innocent is Shmi Skywalker."

"Your capacity for good, much to her you are indebted."

"I would like to believe it is the product of all three of my parents, Master."

Anakin stood, and Yoda looked up at him with stark relief. Suddenly, Anakin noted that the master had been very worried. Humbled, Yoda looked every bit his eight-hundred-plus years.

His anger faded completely and in its place was compassion for the man who could have given his life much neater choices. But even if Yoda had, there was no distinction that his life would have ended up any different. That was a dilemma with no solution, and perhaps the last thing Anakin required to let go and move on.

"Things are going to be very different here from now on," he said. "Whether you like it or not, the Jedi will change."

"Time it is. Evolve we must if to grow stronger we will."

"What will you tell the Council about this?"

"Let you decide that, I will. What do you want to tell them?"

"Everything they know of current events will suffice as an explanation for the amendments to some of our rules," Anakin replied. "Master, I would like to keep the events surrounding my conception known only to us. It was so long ago, and I do not want anything to sully the reputations of Qui-Gon and Tahl. It is not our truth to tell. I want to give them our discretion. Do you mind?"

"No. Agree with you, I do."

"Thank you." He crouched and he spoke softly. "Yoda, I know it was not easy for you to confess all. I do appreciate it."

"Owed it to you, I did. Do not absolve me completely, Anakin. Earned my faith, you have. Repeatedly. Earn yours as well, I must."

"Everything that I have now, I have because of the chain of events that have led me here. Considering my wealth, I can no longer resent those things. I love my wife. I love my children. I love my life among the Jedi. I am blessed."

Anakin placed a hand on Yoda's small shoulder. "You have my forgiveness, Yoda. Do with it as you wish."

"Still one mistake I need rectify, Anakin," Yoda told him. "Your help I will need."

"What is that?"

"Masters Kenobi and Tachi…my fear, kept them apart it did. Used their sense of obligation I did to guard my attachment."

"They know you placed them on assignment together with the deliberate thought of reuniting them, Yoda. It is start that they plan to run with. Believe me, the last twenty years will be utterly irrelevant once they are married. They will make up for the lost time. You are helping them do that."

"What you said earlier, the pomp and circumstance…"

Anakin grinned a little evilly. "That was joke meant to get a rise out of Master. A great success."

"Liked the idea, I did."

Now Anakin demurred. "Yoda, I was teasing. Obi-Wan and Siri would never go for any elaborate ceremony. They dislike attention, you know that."

"A proper wedding here at Temple would serve to not only bind them, but show, it would, the rest of the Jedi that firm in my resolve, I am, that the Order can change with the times. No better example of welcomed attachment than that of Kenobi and Tachi. Disagree?"

Anakin was dubious. "I don't know, Master."

"Discuss it with Tachi, I will. Converse with Master Obi-Wan, you can."

"I will try," was all Anakin would concede. "But if it is not what they want, then you will stay out of their decision making and let them go about their own plans."

"Missed I did, Qui-Gon's vows to Tahl. Excluded I was from yours and Senator Amidala's. See to conclusion that of Obi-Wan and Siri, I will. Witnessed the birth of the new Jedi Order, I did. With this wedding, see everything good in life, the true meaning of it, I will have achieved. Deny me not, I hope they do."

_Whorl…Beep, beep!_

They turned to Artoo. The astromech bounced about, excited, and Anakin understood the reason for it.

He sighed. "Artoo says that he wants to be there, too. He can record it for them, as he did for Padmé and I."

"Your wedding he has?" Yoda sounded offended. "Tell me he did not."

"Well, sir, his loyalty is to me first. Sorry."

Yoda glared at the droid. "Humph."

Anakin straightened again and stepped over to the door. "He will entertain you with it. I'll see you later, Yoda."

"To Kenobi you go?"

"To my wife and kids I go. Watch the wedding. We'll talk in the morning."

The door slid open and Yoda called, "Anakin?"

Anakin grinned, "Yes, Master?"

Yoda paused for a moment then said, "Much like your father, you are."

Pleased, Anakin's grin widened. "Thank you, Master. That's the nicest thing you can ever say to me."

♥

Siri looked up at herself, immortalized in marble. She had never really taken the time to admire the work. Her reasons for visiting Temple had been too important and pressing. Now that she had a few minutes, she realized it was mighty impressive and flattering.

She didn't like it. She read the inscription and snarled. There was no mention of her piloting. She was a darn good pilot. They could have included that. And what about her intrepid skills of espionage? That certainly deserved some attention.

She shrugged that one away. Perhaps her friends had not wanted to tip their hands completely.

_Resigned from the Jedi Order Year One of The Clone War._

_Wished she hadn't done so, Year One and a Half of the Clone War_, she mentally added.

Oh, well. Siri could think of worse things. She was determined not to do so, especially considering the conversation Anakin must be having with Yoda now.

She cringed. She did not envy them at all. She could feel sorry for them both. If any of them were to go on with their lives, those two would have to reconcile. That she didn't sense any violence was a very good sign. Maybe there would be a happy ending for everybody after all.

She never thought she would believe it, but they may be coming to the most peaceful times of their lives.

Force, she hoped it was true.

Siri gasped as she was pulled from her thoughts and into Obi-Wan's arms. Her mouth was promptly closed against sound. Obi-Wan kissed the very breath from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and followed his lead before she could remember where they were.

When she recovered her wits, she pushed back, but he would not release her. Frantic, she glanced around them. The main hall was filled with Jedi Knights, and every one of them was staring at the masters.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" she cried. "People can _see_ us."

He stole another kiss, inexplicably giddy. "They don't care."

"Look at them!"

"No." The next kiss he gave her was long and _very_ intimate. He felt her weaken and dissolve against him.

Obi-Wan was happy. "Imagine how they will react when your belly is swollen with Obi-Wan Junior."

Siri gasped and blushed, hiding her face against his chest. "Obi-Wan…"

Her face hot, she looked up at him. "What has gotten into you?"

_Release of inhibitions, my love_, he thought. To answer her, he replied, "I think the real question is what has gotten into _you_. Or _will_ get into you. Come upstairs with me."

Siri gasped loudly this time, staring at him with amazement. "Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

He leered and bent to kiss her neck.

Her reproach was instinctive and hissed. "We are in _Temple_!"

He raised a brow. "You object?"

She opened her mouth to say yes, but the look on his face convinced her that response would not be believed.

"Don't think," he told her.

When in doubt, tell the truth.

"No," she whispered, then smiled. "No."

Obi-Wan bowed and waved his arm. "After you, mistress."

A little nervous, Siri stepped past him and walked across the plush carpet. He was close on her heels, so close she could feel the heat of his breath against the back of her neck.

"Obi-Wan, they will suspect…"

"Darling, they are going to feel it. Force-rich environment."

Siri groaned as they reached the opulent staircase to the second floor concourse.

"You're walking too slow," he told her.

"Are you determined to make a scene?"

"It will be utterly worth it, I swear."

She felt his fingers slide seductively against her uninjured side and groaned for a different reason. "Race you there?"

"I'll give you a head start." Obi-Wan stopped and she looked back at him.

Their smiles were electric.

"Run," he warned her.

Laughing, she took off up the stairs, Obi-Wan playfully swiping at her. They ran up the remaining steps, down the concourse, toward the lifts and out of sight.

Mace Windu stared after them, his usual frown in place. Beside him, Masters Secura and Shaak-Ti made feminine sounds of approval.

"Isn't that sweet?" Shaak-Ti sighed.

Mace rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Sweet?"

"Yes," she replied, her chin raised defiantly. "I am happy for them."

Aayla's head was still tilted to the side in curiosity. "What do you suppose they're doing?"

"Unless you would like to know it in horrifying lurid detail, Master, I suggest you close your mind to the them," Mace advised and left them standing at the bottom of the stairs.

He called to the knights, "Get back to work. All of you."

There was a round of obsequious bowing before the young Jedis continued with their various tasks.

Aayla turned to Shaak-Ti. "What _are_ Kenobi and Tachi doing, Shaak-Ti?"

Shaak-Ti took a breath and put her arm around her friend's shoulders to lead her in the opposite direction. "Well, Aayla, it is a very…complicated thing. Let's go to Dex's. I'll tell you all about it there."

♥

Bant hesitated to move, but when Anakin smiled, her relief was evident.

"How did it go?" she whispered.

Anakin looked on Padmé's sleeping form.

"As well as can be expected."

She looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay." He gripped her hands and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for everything, Bant."

"Anytime, Anakin."

He stepped over to the side of the bed. "Did she wake?"

"Long enough to sip some broth and check on the babies. Then it was 'lights out' again."

"She's exhausted," he said, touching Padmé's cheek.

"Birth to twins and saving the life of her husband will do that to a woman."

He bent and kissed Padmé's forehead. He would let her rest. There would be plenty of time to talk in the morning.

"You have had a long couple of days yourself. Go home, Bant. Get some sleep."

"All right. I know when I'm not wanted."

"Ha ha."

"Good night, Ani."

"Good night, sweetheart."

Anakin walked over to the bassinets. Leia slept, her mouth lax and making charming snorting noises. He grinned and tucked the blankets tighter around her.

Luke was wide awake and appeared to be watching his father closely.

Anakin leaned over him. "Hi."

Luke kicked his legs, his tiny arms flailing about.

"You want to be held? Hmm?"

Anakin reached in and picked him up. He settled his son close to his chest.

"Can't sleep?" He stepped over to the chair facing the view window and sat down. He pushed his feet against the floor, and the chair began to rock slowly back and forth.

"I don't think I can sleep yet either," he told his boy. "Mind if I just talk to you for a few minutes, son?"

He leaned his head back and sighed. "Ah, Luke…I think I may have a real chance at happiness now. It was touch-and-go there for a while, but I think you may have a real chance at a normal life. Well, as normal as a Jedi can come.

"And you are, you know. You are a Jedi. So is your sister. You don't know what that means yet, but…You probably want to know why you feel the way you do, huh? How you know when Dad is upset. You won't feel that often. I promise you. I can't make any guarantees that it will _never_ happen, of course, but I want you to know that I will give you the reasons for it when if does."

Anakin held Luke up to look into his small face. "You will know me, Luke. You will know everything about me. And you will know everything about your grandfather and your…and your grandmothers."

Luke smiled, and Anakin was moved, letting his happiness wash over him and clean away—forever—the anger.

"I will never leave you, and you and your sister will never have to wonder about your father. Sound good?"

Luke gurgled, drool coming down his chin. His father brushed it away and cuddled him close.

The chair continued to rock, and Anakin closed his eyes. "Your lives will be the best of all, Luke."

He pressed his lips to his son's head. "The Force will be with you."

Sleepily, Anakin promised. "Always."


	39. Temple Discipline

The Jedi Change

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Thirty-Nine- Temple Discipline

The sound was horrible and loud enough to wake Padmé from her sound sleep. She opened her eyes.

_What _is_ that? _

Padmé turned over in the bed and toward the sound. She blinked against the bright sunlight pouring into the room and found the source of the intrusion.

Anakin was in the rocking chair, his head back, his mouth agape. And snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Their son slept undisturbed upon his chest.

Padmé moaned sleepily and fell back against her pillows. This was new information. Her husband had never slept well before, his head filled with too much to permit it. His thoughts had always been racing. Now, when he had a measure of peace, he slept deeply and healthy.

She did not want to disturb him, but by the stars…the _noise_!

"Ani?"

_Grrr_…snort!

"Anakin?"

He smacked his lips and instinctively pressed Luke closer. Padmé sat up and stood, putting on her robe. She stretched and tried to wake up. The soreness of her muscles sent a powerful zing through her that accomplished it.

She stepped up to the chair and scooped up Luke into her arms. The baby murmured a little in protest and she cooed to quiet him.

Looking at her husband, she touched his shoulder. "Anakin?"

After a moment, Padmé tapped him harder. "Anakin!"

He jerked up, his eyes unfocused. "What?"

He turned his head and tried to concentrate. He blinked. "Hi, angel."

Anakin's brow furrowed against his disorientation. He shook his head and tried to focus on her. "You okay?"

"You were snoring, Ani."

She sounded annoyed, and he blinked again. He could not clear the cobwebs in his mind. "Snoring?"

Then, eyes-wide, he exclaimed. "I was _asleep_?"

His surprise eradicated her exasperation, and she smiled. "Yes."

Padmé turned to place Luke in his bassinet then faced him again. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "What time did you come back here last night?"

Anakin took a minute, stroking her hair. "It was fairly early. I came in. Luke was awake. I picked him up, sat down and…I must have zonked out."

He looked out the window. The traffic was thick, and the sun had risen just enough to soak the landscape.

He'd had a full-night's uninterrupted sleep.

"I'm sorry my snoring woke you, sweetheart." He rested his cheek atop her head and pressed her tighter. "How are you?"

Padmé closed her eyes and breathed against his chest. "I'm fine, darling."

Anakin cupped her cheek and raised her head. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

She gave him a patient look and took his hand from her cheek to hold it. "Anakin, I have killed someone before."

"I know, but never a Sith and never with a lightsaber."

"If you think to apologize for bringing me with you to that bunker, you needn't. It was…regrettable that we were attacked, but we did what we had to do. _I_ did what I had to do."

"How long were you conscious?"

She stepped over to the window without releasing his hand. She sat down on the cushioned seat and looked up at him. Her voice was soft.

"Long enough to hear that Qui-Gon Jinn was your father," she told him. "Ani…is it true?"

He took his seat in the rocking chair and met her gaze. "Yes. Qui-Gon _is_ my father."

Padmé just stared at him, and he said, "You look devastated. Why?"

"Anakin…I felt you yesterday. I know what your reaction was to the news. When that…_thing_…told you that Qui-Gon is your father, you believed him. Immediately. And you were…you were…"

"Devastated," he finished for her. He exhaled his held breath. "Yeah."

"You went to Yoda?"

"Not right away, no."

"Obi-Wan?"

"He found me in the shower. I was out of it for a while. Clean though."

"Anakin…"

"Sorry."

Padmé forged ahead. "It was a lot to take in at once. Did Obi-Wan know?"

"No. And if he had, he would have told me."

"But Yoda did know." Anakin nodded, and she asked, "For how long?"

"Since Qui-Gon first brought me here to Coruscant." He kissed her hand. "Just after we met."

"Oh, Anakin," she breathed with sympathy. "That was almost thirteen years ago!"

"Yes."

"Did Qui-Gon know?"

"No."

"Yoda kept it from both you and your father?"

"Yes."

"Anakin. That's inexcusable! How can you be so calm about this?"

"I have had time to get over the shock."

"Tell me you confronted him."

"Padmé…"

"Yoda has kept this very important information from you for years. I know you, Anakin. I know how you think. You wouldn't let that go. You had to have confronted him."

"I did. I was angry. Naturally, right?"

"What excuse did he give you?"

"He had a promise to keep to my mother."

"To Shmi?"

"No. To my biological mother. Her name was Tahl. She was a Jedi Master."

"So the Sith wasn't lying about that either."

"No. Tahl and Qui-Gon were in love. They had married, but…things happened, and they decided that it would be better to break up. My parents were not as fortunate as we were in dealing with their feelings for each other."

"Qui-Gon was married?"

"Hard to believe, I know. They managed to keep it hidden from everyone…"

"Like us."

"Just like us. But then…it's a very complicated story. In brief, they broke up just after I was conceived. Tahl decided she would not have her child subjected to trauma in any form, so she gave me up. To my mother, Shmi. Shmi raised me, and the rest of the story…you know."

"What happened to Tahl?"

"She died on an unsanctioned mission in New Apsolon. Qui-Gon reportedly lost it for a second and almost murdered her killer in an act of rage."

"Qui-Gon nearly went to the Dark Side?"

Anakin watched for her reaction to his reply. "He loved her."

Padmé remembered Anakin and the Tuskens. She looked from her husband then to her son.

Would that extraordinary hypersensitivity to loss affect her son as well?

She thought of Anakin's anger and wondered why it was he didn't seem to feel any with the news of his true legacy.

"Why didn't Yoda tell Qui-Gon? What did he hope to accomplish with that?"

"He thought he was protecting us, Padmé."

"Protecting you?" she sneered. "How? It would have explained everything."

Curious that she would assume that interested him. "How so?"

"Anakin, I didn't have an opportunity to truly know Qui-Gon but from what I do know about him, you're just like him."

He smiled. "In what way?"

"Qui-Gon was arrogant and brash and reckless," she ticked off without hesitation. "He thought he was right in all things and would look at me like I was insane if I dared disagree with him."

Amused, he chuckled. "I don't do that, do I?"

"Yes, you do."

"Well, come on. There had to be something about him you liked."

Padmé went back to the memories of those few days so many years ago. "In spite of all that, he was also kind. He was very generous. He didn't have to go to the lengths he did to help me and Naboo, Anakin. He didn't have the authority from the Jedi Council and yet he did those unselfish things anyway."

"From what I understand, he went against Council a lot."

"Obviously." She looked over to Luke again. "Like father, like son."

Anakin saw it but only said, "Yoda thought my knowing the truth about Qui-Gon would dismantle the Jedi Order. With everything happening, dissention amongst the Jedi would have been unmitigated disaster."

"But Anakin, you would have had the proper weapons of defense. The truth could have set you free from your anger and your pain a long time ago. The conflict within yourself may have never happened. You would have never been made vulnerable to Palaptine's seduction of the Dark Side. Your suffering, Ani. It didn't have to be that way."

"It's hard to be angry when I look at you, Padmé. Granted, we have been through more garbage than any group of people should have to endure, but look at what it has brought us. Look at what we have. I have been graced with more good fortune than Qui-Gon, Tahl or Shmi ever dreamed I could have. To hold on to anger would be a slap to their faces, to everything they wanted for me."

"But what Yoda did may have perpetuated all that wretchedness. I don't understand how he could do that."

"Angel, calm down."

"I _am_ calm. Why are _you_? Anakin, he let your father—_your friend_—die without knowing that the boy he held such faith in was his. You have the right to know why."

Leia sputtered and began to cry.

Anakin reached over to place a comforting hand on her belly.

His voice was hushed. "Padmé, you have to calm down. The babies can feel our emotions."

"Oh." She got up and went to pick up her daughter. Leia quieted when she was held. "Shh, darling. It's all right."

Padmé looked at Anakin with wonder. "They can feel us?"

"Yes. We have to be mindful."

Awareness swept through her and she said, "That's it. That's why you're handling this so well. The babies can feel you."

She looked at their children. She repeated it again, disbelieving. "They can feel you."

"Padmé, they are Jedi. Like me. We have to be mindful." Anakin saw the way she tensed, and he frowned. "Angel…you knew the chances were good that they would inherit these traits from me."

She was still staring at the twins. The look in her eyes worried him. "Padmé, look at me."

She turned to him, pale. "I knew that they areJedi. It's just that I thought we would have more time with them before…"

"Before what?"

She placed Leia back in the bassinet. Anakin watched her cross the room dazedly to sit on the bed.

"Anakin. When I saw you with the Sith yesterday, it hit me. The reality of our lives hit me, and I finally got it."

Tears fell down her cheek. "They always come after you, and they never stop. And now…now they will hunt my children. They will be obsessed with my children as they are obsessed with my husband."

Anakin shook his head. He crossed the space between them in three strides. He pulled her into his arms. Her body shook, but her cries were silent. "Padmé, no. No. It's over."

"We thought that with Palpatine."

He gripped her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Padmé, the Sith are dead. They are _not_ coming back. I am safe. Our children are safe. We are not hunted, angel. It is over. It is over, and we are all going to be fine."

Anakin hugged her again. "Everything is going to go back to normal…"

Padmé pushed him away. "_Back to normal_? What is normal for us, Anakin? This is the first time we have been able to spend more than forty-eight hours together."

Something very much like fear was creeping into him, and Anakin fought against it. He swallowed. "All that is going to change, Padmé."

"Really? How? Because the Jedi have forgiven you for our deceptions? Because you 'destroyed' the Sith? Or is it because now the Jedi have three Skywalkers for the price of one? And now that they will know Luke and Leia are of Qui-Gon's lineage as well? What happens now?"

"Padmé," he whispered hoarsely. "Why are you so angry? This isn't rational. This isn't you."

"I think I am entitled to having my own breaking point, Anakin."

She glanced at the children and lowered her voice. "You know, after you killed Palpatine and the Council had found out about us there was a part of me that prayed they would expel you from the Order. There was a moment when I hoped that would happen because then we could do whatever we wanted. I would leave the senate, and we could go to Naboo and live in complete anonymity.

Then I remembered who I was. I remembered my duty. I remembered yours, and I put my deepest personal desires out of my mind."

She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I have maintained my composure, and I have held onto my sanity because when I thought of what my life would be without you, I couldn't bear it. But now…It's not just the two of us anymore, Anakin. I have my children to think about and their safety, their happiness, means more to me than anything else. I've had enough."

Anakin swayed a little. His voice was a harsh whisper. "What are you saying?"

"I can't take it anymore," she cried sadly. "I won't let the Jedi control the lives of Luke and Leia the way they have controlled ours. I have to take them away from here…"

Anakin's worst nightmare was unfolding before his eyes. "You want…You want to leave…?"

"Yes."

Padmé stepped over to him about to say something else, but Anakin's next words stopped her.

"I'll leave the Order," he told her thickly. "I'll turn in my lightsaber."

"What?"

"If that's what you want, I'm doing it."

"Ani…"

"I want you to be happy, Padmé, and I don't want you to worry about Luke and Leia. We can leave today."

"Good, but…"

"We can COMM Chancellor Organa and let him know that…"

Padmé put her hand over his mouth. "Anakin, wait. What are you doing?"

"I love you, Padmé. I don't want to lose you because of…of an institution!"

"Lose me?" She stroked his damp with sweat cheek. "Anakin, you're not going to lose me."

"But you said you wanted to leave."

"And you thought that meant leave _you_?"

He couldn't even enjoy the relief. "Isn't that what you were going to say?"

Appalled at herself just as much as him, she pulled him to her and dragged his head down to kiss him.

"Oh, Anakin." Another kiss. "You idiot." A third. "Do you really think that I could go through everything we have gone through together to suddenly walk out and leave you?"

"After yesterday, and finding out that the babies are at least three-quarters powerful Jedi, I am not sure I would blame you."

She kissed him again and they stayed in that embrace for several minutes.

"I love you so much, Anakin," she whispered. "You are the center of this family, and we could never live without you. My love…"

She rubbed her cheek against his. "Do you know why you have this relentless fear of abandonment?"

Anakin had a feeling he knew what she was about to say. He stayed silent and let her hold him.

"Because of something that Yoda could have prevented and didn't," she told him.

She looked at him and explained, "I do not want that underhanded…_tyranny_ for Luke and Leia, Anakin. That is what I meant when I said I wanted to take them away from here. Until Yoda can accept his responsibility, I do not want him instructing our children. I don't him filling their heads with nonsense about attachment and…"

"He won't," Anakin finally said. "After we cleared the air, I gave him some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Padmé, I never had any intention of living in our apartment while letting the Jedi raise our kids. I told Yoda that we would bring them here for their schooling but only after they turn three. Even then, they would come home with us every night. I will chose their masters when their apprenticeships begin. The building of their characters? All ours."

Padmé was understandably skeptical. "And he agreed."

"He was in no position to argue, angel. He wants to help us. He's trying to make amends. He really is, Padmé."

"It's going to be hard to believe him, Anakin."

"I know, but this like most things, we'll have to take on faith. He's not an ogre. He's set in his ways, but he is making a real effort to make the transition for the Jedi as smooth as possible."

"Anakin…I'm so sorry."

"For scaring me into a near heart attack? Apology accepted."

"Well that and…I'm so sorry about Tahl and Qui-Gon."

"Thank you. I can't turn back time and change anything. I can only accept. You know what I mean?"

Padmé relaxed and rested her head against his chest. "Yes."

"And about the other things…I know you're afraid that Luke and Leia will be targets, but your concerns would be just as relevant if they decide to run for public office—_like you_. The galaxy is unfortunately filled with twisted people, angel. Keep in mind that Gunray and company were not Sith. They were ordinary, if demented, people. But with proper Jedi instruction, Luke and Leia will be more ably versed in protecting themselves. Intellectually and physically."

"I know you're right, but…ah!" She squeezed him. "It's not going to be easy."

"We'll get through it together. 'Together' being the operative word."

Padmé tittered with laughter. "I really am sorry I scared you."

"And called me an idiot."

"And called you an idiot."

"That's all right. I'll have my revenge."

"Oh really? How's that?"

"You still have to live with me."

They laughed until the violent strains of Anakin's stomach could be heard.

"Was that you?" Padmé cackled with vigor.

Anakin smiled sheepishly. "My body has suddenly recalled its lack of fuel. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."

"Oh. Well, let me tend to the babies and freshen up. We'll go downstairs for breakfast."

"I'll tell you what. You freshen up. I'll tend to the babies then bring the food up here. Is that good?"

She nodded, and they both turned their heads toward the door when they heard a discreet knock.

"Come in," Padmé called.

Han poked his head through the doorway.

"Han!"

"Hey, Senator Ami..Skywalker. Commander." Han stepped in and shuffled his feet. "I hope now isn't a bad time."

"Not at all. It's good to see you again, Han."

"It's good to see you too, Senator."

Han brought his hands forward from behind his back and held out a crushed bouquet of flowers. "I brought these for you."

Padmé took the bouquet and sniffed the delicate blooms. "Oh, Han. They're lovely. Thank you."

She kissed his cheek. "I'll have to find a vase. Thank you."

Anakin watched the boy blush hotly and tried not to laugh. He disguised it with a cough. "That's very thoughtful of you."

"It's kinda a congratulations-slash-thank you token of my esteem."

"Oh? Thank you for what?"

"If you hadn't assigned me to civic duty, I wouldn't have been able to help Obi-Wan yesterday. That job provided me the blue prints to the prison."

"That's right!" Anakin exclaimed. "You busted Master out of the pen. Good work."

It seemed Han didn't take praise very well because he blushed all the harder. "I promised Siri that I would rescue him if I could."

"You did a tremendous job, Han." Anakin pointed his finger to indicate himself and Padmé. "That's something we were never able to do with success."

"Geonosis," Padmé replied to Han's curious look.

"Oh."

"I was just about to bring up some breakfast, Han. Would you like to join us?"

"Normally I never turn down food, Commander, but I was actually looking for Siri. I'm kinda surprised she's not here with you."

"Is everything all right, Han?"

"Oh yes, ma'am. It's just that I got us a case out in Kessel that I wanted to tell her about. I'm supposed to leave day after tomorrow."

"Kessel?" Anakin's brow knit with concern. "Han, that's a prison planet in Hutt space. Are you certain this is something you want to do?"

"We're a little strapped for credits, sir." Han shrugged. "Besides, I've been in worse places. I can handle it."

"I'm not so sure Siri will agree with you."

"Nah. I'll talk to her. I'll give her my full itinerary. She'll be okay."

Padmé smiled. "You have to find her first. Did you go to her apartment?"

"Yeah, but when she didn't answer the door, I let myself in. Her bed hasn't been slept in so I assumed she came back here after dropping me off last night. Did she stay with you?"

Anakin's gaze narrowed. "Nope. Haven't seen her."

Padmé exchanged a look with her husband that spoke volumes of their thoughts. Padmé fought her knowing grin. "Han, have you tried to COMM her?"

"She's not answering it or it's still on the fritz from yesterday." The poor kid looked at a loss. "I'm kinda starting to…you know."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Han. She's probably, you know, doing her own thing this morning. She'll call you soon. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah…you're probably right, Commander. Hey! You think she's with Kenobi?"

"No!" Padmé and Anakin shouted.

They glanced at each other again, and Anakin said in a normal voice, "We would know if she were with Master Obi-Wan, Han. Listen, why don't you go downstairs and get some breakfast in the cafeteria. I'll ask around here if anyone has seen Siri. All right?"

"Thanks, Commander. I appreciate it."

"Sure. It's on the first floor. Turn right once you get downstairs and go all the way to the end of the hall. The cafeteria is on the right."

"Thanks again. See ya, Senator."

"Take care, Han."

When he left, Padmé was nearly bursting with excitement. "You don't think she stayed the night with Obi-Wan—in his chambers—do you?"

Anakin wasn't nearly as animated. "If she did, I'm sure it's perfectly innocent."

"Uh huh."

"Padmé, be serious. They are Jedi. They are unwed Jedi. There is no way that…"

"Jedi or not, single or married, they love each other, Anakin."

"We're talking about Obi-Wan here, angel. He's more tightly wound than a top. He would never…"

"Whatever you say, darling."

There was that tone again. Anakin grunted, "Fine. Think whatever you want. Regardless of our speculations, Siri _does_ need to be found. Kessel is dangerous. That boy shouldn't go. Period. I have to find her."

He brought his wrist up and pressed his COMM. "Skywalker to Kenobi. Obi-Wan?"

Padmé watched him with mock wonder. "Hmm? You think he may have turned off his COMM link?"

"Anakin to Tachi. Siri, report."

Padmé sighed. "Darling, they obviously don't want to be disturbed."

"I'm going to his chambers."

"Tell her I said hello."

He kissed her quickly. "I'll be back before you can miss me."

♥

Too many memories filled the span of twenty-years. Not all of them were bad. Most were mainly of duty and all defined by deeply instilled discipline. The good ones were cherished, and Obi-Wan held them as precious. They were simple comforts he could use to meditate. They warded away the loneliness of countless nights in faraway places and the monotony of one mission after another.

Obi-Wan's favorites were less memory and more fantasy. Those false images had given him a bliss that made the truth of their nonexistence nearly unbearable in the mornings that followed. He would wake and the loneliness returned. But what he had found in those dreams, those minute passes of fancy, had made the pain in his consciousness worth it.

Siri. It was always Siri. The source of all happiness. She was the only thing his Jedi soul had ever wanted and the only thing he was absolutely forbidden.

But she was here with him now, and she was no illusion. He could feel her touch, smell her skin, taste her on his lips. There was nothing in his imaginings that could compare to the reality of finally holding her in his arms. There was nothing on this world or any other that could heal his dented heart like the last few hours—certainly these were the best times he had ever had in his life. This had been worth everything. It would continue to be worth more than anything else he could have. And he would hold on to it. He would hold onto her, and there would never be anything anyone could ever do to take her away from him.

Siri stared down at him as intensely as he did her. She could feel herself smile, unable and unwilling to stop. Obi-Wan was so intent on her, so concentrated. They had not said a word in over a half an hour. He only opened his mouth to kiss her or to accept the spoonfuls of yogurt she fed him.

She did not think of anything else. She supposed it was not in her feminine instincts to wonder how this could be so natural in a lifetime of depravation. There was no nervousness, no coy looks or flirtatious banter. This was simply Siri and Obi-Wan.

She had never felt more content, more safe, or more happy in her whole life.

The intrusive vibration of her COMM link on the nightstand was again ignored. His followed suit, bouncing until it fell from the table and onto the floor.

"They're looking for us," she whispered.

Obi-Wan stayed silent, still staring at her with something similar to astonishment. It made her feel warm.

And infinitely adored.

Her look was filled with tenderness as she asked, "Why won't you tell me what Master Yoda had to say last eve?"

His expression didn't change. He smoothed his hands up and down her thighs that straddled his hips and shook his head. "It does not matter."

"I think it does," she said softly. "I think it matters very much to you."

Siri placed the empty bowl on the window sill. She put her hands atop his to still his movements. She would not be distracted.

She watched his eyes closely. "Baby…Yoda would never deliberately seek to hurt us. His actions…he only did what he believed was right."

His eyes never flickered, never broke his stare. His body didn't flinch. He simply replied, "I thought of you every day, Siri. For twenty years, you never left my mind. I went on mission after mission after mission, but I still thought of you.

I would go days without sleeping. I had to, some nights, for the folly going on around me, but there were others when I simply could not bear the thought of closing my eyes. You haunted my dreams, you see. You would make me chase you, and every time I was just about to catch you, every time I had you within my grasp, you were gone. I would wake up, and I would be miserable all over again."

Inexpressibly moved, she choked on her tears and leaned forward, resting atop him.

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her. Thinking about Yoda, his jaw tightened. "We were made to pay for actions that were not our own that day in the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

He closed his eyes, breathed in the honey-sweet scent of her and vowed. "Never again, Siri. _Not ever again_."

Siri shook her head against his chest. "No. Not ever again."

The knock on the door was loud, but they remained locked in their embrace.

"Master?"

Siri raised her head. "It's Anakin."

Obi-Wan grabbed her good arm before she could get up. "If he sees something he's never seen before, he has my permission to throw a rock at it."

She looked at their bodies up and down. "I will not have him throwing rocks or anything else at the better parts of us, Kenobi. I like everything as they are."

Her studied her with carnal appreciation and sighed. "You're right. Put on my tunic."

"Where is it?" She stood and winced. She saw his smile as he sat up.

"Overextend yourself, have you?"

Siri glared at him with mock indignation. "Where is your tunic?"

"You tossed it somewhere over my head…" He stood and turned to the left, relying on memory to discern the location of the garment.

He stepped over to the breakfast bar and picked it up. "Here. I'll help you."

"Careful with my arm."

"Oh, _now_ it bothers you?"

"Keep your voice down, baby."

"Master?"

"In a minute, Anakin!" Obi-Wan called, perturbed by the interruption.

He carefully pulled the tunic over her head and helped her pull her stiff arm through the sleeve. Tailored for him, the shirt more than adequately covered her. It fell nearly to her knees. It looked more like a gown.

Seeing her wearing something that was his was enough to make him eschew Anakin completely. He reached for her, and she slapped his hands.

"Down, boy!" she hissed with embarrassment. Then she gasped like a schoolgirl, her eyes wide. "Obi-Wan, do you think Anakin will know what we have been doing?"

Stupefied, Obi-Wan stepped back and looked her up and down. The well-toned muscles of her marvelous legs still trembled from exertion. Her body glowed from the flush of their exercise. Her beautiful hair flowed down her back utterly disheveled. Her neck and jaw bore clear marks of his whisker-burn. Her lips were bruised and swollen from his kisses, but it was her eyes that told the tale. They were pure and sparkling green this morning. She radiated her happiness.

Obi-Wan lied. "Not at all."

His face must have given him away. "Oh, you're lying!"

Siri moved toward the reflecting glass, but Obi-Wan stopped her. "Siri, Anakin is a married man with two children. _Clearly_, the method of human reproduction has _not_ escaped him."

Another knock, this time marking his former apprentice's own lack of patience. "_Master_."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Very well, Anakin. Just a second."

He stepped over to the door and was about to allow Anakin in.

"Baby?" Siri groaned.

"Hmm?"

Siri glanced below his waist. "Your pants."

Obi-Wan looked down and grousing, plucked his blanket from the sleep couch to wrap it around his waist. When it was moderately secured, he pressed the panel to open the door.

He looked at his padawan and snapped, "What?"

"Let him in before anyone else sees you!" Siri chided.

Anakin stepped past him, the door sliding closed.

The expression on his face was comical. He took in his master's state of undress, Siri's look of the pleasantly debauched and was stunned immobile.

Residual Force-tremors in the room attacked him and in his mind's eye, various stages of last night's passion in this room flooded him. Shocked, dismayed and embarrassed, he grunted out a breath. He looked on the two of them like a child in moral crisis.

"Oh! Oh no!" It was almost too much for Anakin. "No, no, _no_!"

Siri flinched, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Anakin."

"You two are in _so much_ trouble!"

Piqued, Siri could only stare at him. Obi-Wan wasn't nearly as disturbed. "Are you serious, Anakin? What are you going to do? _Tell on us?_"

"I _should_," Anakin cried superciliously. "As it is, all of Temple probably knows what you have done. You are not married yet!"

Obi-Wan's patience only served to visibly goad Anakin's outraged sense of decorum. "Hello, pot. I'm kettle."

"Your lack of concern is a sham," Anakin replied to him. "This is wrong, and you know it."

Obi-Wan's brow lifted, but it was Siri who retorted hotly, "I beg your pardon, Anakin Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan smartly stepped aside.

She strode over to point her finger into Anakin's chest. "We are in love. There is no shame in what we have done." She poked him.

"Ow."

"The Council is damn lucky it didn't happen sooner…" She poked him again.

"_Ow_! Stop that!"

Filled with temper, she started walking him backward. "We didn't take moonlight and roses like another Jedi I could mention…"

Anakin frowned with feigned offense. "Hey…"

"No! You don't get to talk. Obi-Wan and I took the Jedi path, and we were robbed of twenty years of this! So you will have to excuse us if instead of waiting for our muscles to cramp and our bones to deteriorate we chose to act on our long-harbored passion…"

"More than I needed to know, Master…"

"Life is too short, and we're down from 'I love you' to 'move it or lose it', and in no way, shape or form do _you_ get to judge us." Siri backed him up against the door. "Do you understand me?"

Anakin stared down at her, marveling that a woman so small of stature could physically intimidate him. Her beautiful head was tilted all the way back so she could glare him into submission, her green eyes dazzling him.

He was always forgetting this. He was so used to her kindness and her affection that he would forget what a dangerously fierce temper she had.

He glanced at his master. "Aren't you going to say something, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan was beaming on his woman with pride. "What she said."

Anakin sighed, and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Thank you, Master. Your concern for my welfare touches me deeply."

He looked down at the one person whose protection of him had been true and without reserve, judgment, or expectation of return favor.

Anakin smiled, rubbing his sternum. "The poking hurt, you know."

Siri's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, but you were being mean."

"I'm sorry too." He kissed the top of her head. "You know I wouldn't hurt your feelings for anything in the world."

He waved to Obi-Wan. "His, on the other hand…"

"_Why_ are you here, Anakin?" Obi-Wan called, walking over to put his arm around Siri. "Don't you have a home?"

"You should be glad it's me who stands here, Obi-Wan." He looked at Siri. "Han is looking for you, Siri. I told him to wait in the cafeteria."

She cocked a brow. "Is something wrong?"

"No. He wants to tell you about a case he's taking…in Kessel."

Obi-Wan frowned, "Kessel?"

Siri stepped away to look for her pants. She tried to explain. "Han is of the age where he thinks what he does should mark the occasion of his manhood. He thinks danger is a rite of passage. I'll go speak with him."

Anakin grinned at his master. "Looks who's all paternally concerned."

Obi-Wan's reproving look would have been more effective had he been wearing more than a loose blanket about his waist. "Don't look so smug, young one. I only have a nearly-grown boy to worry about. You have infant twins. Cheers."

Anakin kept his smile but turned his back so Siri could finish dressing.

Obi-Wan helped her step into her pants. "I'll meet you downstairs. When you're finished talking to Han, I'll give you a ride home."

"That's all right. My speeder…"

"I'm taking you home."

Siri smiled and kissed him sweetly. "You can take me home."

She sidestepped Anakin. "Bye, sweetheart."

The door slid open and Anakin called, "Visit Padmé."

"I will!"

Anakin watched and waited for her to enter the lift before he closed the door and turned to Obi-Wan.

His expression turned serious. "You didn't tell her about our talk with Yoda."

Obi-Wan gave up holding onto the blanket and stepped into the refresher. He spoke loud enough for Anakin to hear him. "She knew where I was going, but no. I didn't tell her what was said."

The water for the sanistream came on, and Anakin walked into the refresher. He propped himself against the sink. He wanted to talk to his master, and Obi-Wan couldn't duck him while he showered.

"You're still angry."

"No."

"Obi-Wan…it's pointless. Your energies should be better spent."

"I spend my energies very well, thank you."

Anakin reflected on the events of Obi-Wan's life in the last twelve hours and shuddered again with mortification.

He shook his head to clear it and continued with the reason for his speech. "Yoda doesn't understand the kind of love you feel for Siri, Obi-Wan. And like anything unknown, the first response is fear."

"Do not think of excusing him to me, Anakin."

"I am not, but he has admitted to his sins. Nothing he does can bring that day back for you or for her."

He heard a loud sluice of water against the tiles. "Obi-Wan?"

Nothing.

Anakin sighed. "He wants to make it up to you, Obi-Wan."

"He can't."

"Perhaps, but he would like to try."

The water shut off, and Anakin held out a towel for the hand reaching out from behind the glass.

"He wants to give you and Siri a proper wedding," Anakin told him.

"Oh really?" Obi-Wan stepped out of the stall and glared, "'Pomp and circumstance'."

He stalked out of the refresher. Anakin followed.

"Obi-Wan, he thinks it would not only give the two of you what you richly deserve, but it would also show the rest of the Order that he is very serious about changing things here…"

"Yes, of course," Obi-Wan muttered, pulling out fresh clothes from the closet. "It's all about lording over the Jedi."

"Obi-Wan, I'm not saying I agree with any of it, but…"

Obi-Wan fastened his pants and hurriedly pulled his undertunic over his head. "Anakin."

He faced him with his hands on his hips. "I want you to think about what your life would be like twenty years from now…Without Padmé in it."

His tone was harsh with self-righteous anger. "What would your life be like?"

Anakin heard Padmé as she had been in his alternate reality on Mustafar. _Come away with me… _He saw her on the table in that alien Med Center._ Anakin! Help me! Please! _He saw her, dead, in that casket on Naboo.

Anakin cleared his throat and answered his friend. "I'm sorry about all you have lost, Obi-Wan. You're right. It's not my place to preach forgiveness to you."

"Oh, I'll forgive him, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied casually. "But not today."

"What about Siri?"

"I will talk to her about what Yoda would like," he said, adjusting his overtunic and putting on his utility belt. He bent down for his boots. "But I want to marry her immediately, if not sooner. The details are insignificant to me."

"Of course. I can respect that."

"It will be up to her."

"Certainly."

Obi-Wan finished pulling on the remaining boot, and muttered, "You're being awfully agreeable."

"Well, I…"

_Grrrrowwwlllll…_

Obi-Wan stood up at the sound. His hand touched his lightsaber.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Anakin moaned, humiliated. "It was my stomach."

"_What_?"

His stomach growled fiercely again, and Obi-Wan glared, "By the Force, Anakin! The horrifying sounds your body makes…"

Obi-Wan walked briskly to the door, and Anakin cried defensively, "I am _starving_! All right?"

He raced out the door to follow Obi-Wan down the hall. "I haven't eaten since…"

"_The dawn of time_?"

"I have been very busy…"

"Stars, your hunger sounds as obnoxious as your dreadful snoring…"

Anakin halted before they reached the lift, but Obi-Wan pressed the button.

"You've known for _thirteen years_ about that, and you didn't tell me?"

"Your slumberous racket is what got us ambushed that night on Smarteel…"

"If you could read a map correctly, we wouldn't have been there in the first place…"

The door opened and they walked inside. Two knights stepped back to allow them entry and said nothing as the two masters continue to bicker.

"Absolutely no discipline," Obi-Wan mumbled.

Anakin glared. "You're not the one to press _that_ issue this morning, Master."

"Oh, be quiet, Anakin."

"Masters?" a knight behind them called. "Is everything all right?"

They turned and snapped together, "Butt out!"

Eyes wide, the knight demurred.

Obi-Wan sighed in disgust. "We're sorry, gentlemen. It's been a long few days."

The younger of the two nodded. "Yes, it has been."

Obi-Wan turned back to Anakin and tried to keep the annoyance out of voice. "Where are you going?"

Anakin faced the door. "To the cafeteria."

"Should I COMM ahead to warn the diners of your oncoming avaricious hands and mouth?"

"Stodgy old man."

"Meddlesome whelp."

The knights looked at each other then shrugged.

Masters Kenobi and Skywalker had obviously spent _way_ too much time together.

♥

Han was not the only one staring at her. Siri could feel it. She must look a fright—unwashed and unkempt and wearing Obi-Wan's overly large uniform. She was well-satisfied but that was hardly an explanation she could give anyone should they ask.

_It was a fine morning at Temple_, she thought with discomfiture.

She tried to ignore the feasting Jedi around them. "Han, I am against you taking this case."

"You said that already."

His astute stare was unblinking.

"Han, please stop staring."

"You look different." The tone he used with the indisputable observation was almost accusatory.

"It…It's a long story," Siri prevaricated.

"It's none of my business," he chortled, returning to his tray.

"Thanks, Han."

"But now he _has_ to marry you."

"Force," she groaned. "You're going to hold this over my head, aren't you?"

"Nah." He patted her hand beside his. "I prefer immediate gratification."

Her gaze narrowed. "Meaning?"

Han couldn't resist the knowing quip. "You tell me."

She slapped his arm. "What are you hatching, young man?"

"I will go back to playing the naïve boy if you let me take the Kessel run alone."

Shocked at the play, her jaw dropped. "First…you have never been a 'naïve' boy. Second, that is extortion."

"I prefer to call it 'persuasive bargaining'."

"Forget it, Han."

Han sighed and finished chewing his food. "Siri, I'm not a kid. And as you said, I have never been naïve. I have never been innocent."

Siri shook off his words. "Han, Kessel is a very dangerous place. And what do you know about your client anyway?"

"He's got money."

"Not everything is about money."

"Not all of us can afford our principles, Siri. Integrity doesn't put a roof over my head or food on the table."

"Why are you so adamant about this case?"

"Because it's something I know I can do." Han glanced around them and checked his tone. "I'm not a kid, Tachi. I'm a man, and I can make my own decisions."

Patient, Siri replied, "I know that, sweetie. But there are other cases, other clients…"

"Is this because he's a hutt?"

Her prejudice was not for the species itself. Just their reputations.

"Hutts aren't exactly known for their stellar honesty and ethical business practices, Han."

"Then you don't think I can handle myself."

"You can handle anything you put your mind to."

"And I'm putting my mind to this. You can't seriously be worried."

"I love you..."

"Aw, crap…" He dropped his fork.

"Of course I'm seriously worried."

Siri frowned as he did. He started poking his food around his plate. "Han, is the reason you want this case because it would take you far from Coruscant?"

She wet her lips nervously. "Is this about me and Obi-Wan?"

"What?" Han looked at her with meaning. "No, Siri. I mean, yeah, I'd like to give you guys some time alone. You're getting married. You've earned it, but this isn't about that. I need to do this. I need to strike out on my own."

"But Kessel, Han…"

"You can't protect me forever, Siri. You're going have to trust me. You have to have faith that I know what I'm doing."

_Ouch_.

Siri thought it unfortunate that the three years of her teachings would come back to haunt her now.

There was nothing else she could do, nothing else she could say except, "I hate you."

His cocky grin returned along with his appetite. "You just said you love me a few seconds ago."

"It comes and goes."

She slumped in defeat. "You'll be careful?"

"You'll know my every move."

She plucked an his unwanted piece of fruit from his plate and popped it in her mouth. "I'm getting married."

"I know."

"Probably soon."

"Do I hear the cock of a blaster gun?" he joked. "Are the Jedi forcing the speed of this?"

"Obi-Wan," she chewed.

"You don't look like you disagree."

"I don't."

"When?"

"Not sure. Will you be there?"

He smiled. "Wouldn't miss it."

She kissed his cheek, and Han leaned back. He was looking behind her. "Here comes the deliberate groom now."

"Huh?" Siri turned in her seat to see Anakin veer to the serving line, and Obi-Wan walking purposely toward them.

Once again, all eyes in the room were on her.

Obi-Wan stopped, gave Siri a look of poorly-concealed yearning, and smiled at Han.

"Hello."

"Hey, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan sat down on Han's other side, his back against the table.

"I hear you're going to Kessel," he said.

"I am."

"Siri and I are getting married. You can't leave until that's done."

"General," Han began with genuine remorse. "I have to leave day after tomorrow, but I promise you I can be back here in a couple of days…"

"No need to fret, Han. I can see it accomplished tomorrow."

Twin looks of surprise greeted that firm statement. "You can?"

"You would be absolutely astounded at what I can do in little time."

Han glanced at Siri and laughed, "Not really."

Obi-Wan craned his neck to look around Han and at his love. "Any thoughts?"

Giddy, Siri whispered, "Whatever you want."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and exhaled with gusto. He stretched his legs out and crossed his ankles, his elbows resting back against the table. He closed his eyes and grinned.

"What a fine morning at Temple!"


	40. What It Feels Like

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

Chapter Forty- What It Feels Like

The blinds over the view window were closed and the room was dark.

Padmé stood at the doorway to the refresher and watched the gentle interloper play with her children. If the Jedi Master sensed her doing so, he gave no indication of it. He waved his hand. Illusory flowers and planes bounced in the air of magical stars above the bassinets. The sounds of Luke and Leia's happy gurgles filled the room.

Anakin was taking longer than expected to return. She had chosen to take advantage of the time to set herself to rights. She'd showered as quickly as possible then donned a simple gown—by her standards—and finished her morning ritual. She had not wondered about the babies' blissful quiet, assuming they were still asleep. But when she had stepped out of the small room, it was clear that they were being entertained.

Lulled by the Force.

She finally addressed the Master. "You are very good with children."

The small man didn't turn around. The flowers and planes were suddenly accompanied by the dulcet sounds of music. Padmé recognized the Nubian lullaby. Her mother used to hum the melody to her when she was a baby herself.

"Experience with younglings, I have."

Yoda turned around to smile at her. "Beautiful children they are, Senator _Skywalker_. And strong with the Force."

"They're a credit to their father, Master Yoda."

"Your Leia…favor you she does. Beside himself with joy, Anakin must be."

Padmé walked closer and said, "Every father has the right to bear pride for his children. Anakin is no exception."

"A compliment it was, Senator."

"I can no longer be sure of you, Master. You must understand that."

"Friends we have always been, Padmé. Wish to break those bonds, I do not. Care for you I always have."

Padmé looked into the bassinets and smiled. The babies were still marveling at the show above them, their tiny limbs moving excitedly.

She looked down at Yoda. "Anakin forgives you for keeping such a dreadful secret, but I…Yoda, he suffered. You will never know how much he suffered. It was not necessary. I am having a very difficult time comprehending how someone I have always known to be fair and kind could do something so callous and cruel."

"Regret I have expressed for what I have done. Come to you for your forgiveness I do."

Padmé shook her head. "What you did you did not do to me."

"Nevertheless, my deception affect you it did. Ripple effect. Looked to you to give him solace, Anakin tried. Render you helpless my lying did. Give you pain it caused and for that, I am sorry."

She sat down in the rocking chair. "I accept your apology."

"Thank you."

The glow of the Force-induced theatre reflected on him as he pulled himself onto the window seat. They sat facing each other now, and his head tilted to the side.

"This love you have for Anakin…tell me of it, hmm?"

"What do you mean?"

"The feelings in your heart, what are they like?"

The expression on his face was so earnest that Padmé felt an aching kindness sweep through her. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to give himself the means to never repeat his mistakes. Touched, she smiled at him with tenderness.

As if he could read her thoughts, Yoda said softly, "Understand I must, Padmé, if to prevent a recurrence I am."

Her answer was marked with genuine compassion for him. "It is not something that can be articulated into words, Master Yoda."

"The security holograms of Tahl and of Master Qui-Gon, all I have they are of them. Belie the misery their attachment would bring them, those images do. Heartbreak all of Tahl's words."

Yoda bowed his head as the tears of the last twenty four hours returned. His voice denoted his disappointment. "Wanted so much to understand what had moved her to such, I did."

"You have said as much to Anakin, haven't you?"

"Yes. Trouble him further I would not. Sleep last night would not come. Saw over and over I did the effects of my ignorance."

Padmé swallowed. "Yoda, why have you come to me with this?"

His answer was straightforward to him. He hoped it would be for her. "A Jedi you are not. Raised on our disciplines you have not nor tainted by our practices. Reliable source you are for what I must know. Sensitive to protecting _me_, not an instinct you possess."

Flattered, the truth of his explanation put her at ease. Unfortunately, the words continued to elude her.

"Yoda, you can teach obedience. You can promote respect and you may even earn love that comes with it. Romantic love is not something that can be taught. It…It just _is_.

"There is no rhyme, no reason for it that can draw a picture to explain it."

Padmé leaned closer and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps you should tell me what you _think_ romantic love is," she told him. "Forget about what your eyes have seen and what your ears have heard. What are the pictures your mind conjures when you think of it? Tell me what you feel _inside of you_ when you think about what romantic love is like."

"Pain, my first impression of it is."

"That's your fear."

"No. Experience that is."

It was not his personal experience, she knew. There was enlightenment with her observation that he was so powerful, Yoda could take on the emotions of those he cared for. Much as he had taken the majority of her pain during the birth of her children.

This subject did remind him of pain as he had only empathetically experienced the misery of love—in Tahl, in Qui-Gon. Then in Obi-Wan and Siri and finally in Anakin.

"Maybe we should begin with the pain. Your interest after all this time must have sprung from the guilt you feel."

Philosophically, it could make sense. She and Anakin were together in spite of all the obstacles. Obi-Wan and Siri were on their way to living happily together. Maybe he needed to relive the pain to inevitably see the joy.

It was too simple an approach. Yoda was ashamed he had not thought of it. Willingly, he closed his eyes and let her voice soothe him.

"Your heart has power you have not even tapped, Master Yoda. Call to its power. Feel it flow through you, like you would the Force," she whispered. "Concentrate on it."

Yoda regulated his breathing, closed his eyes and succumbed to deep meditation. He let go of his physical self and followed the path his feelings led him. His heart beat steady and strong.

There had been no pain when Skywalker had made the senator his bride. There had been no guilt or uncertainty. The bride and the groom of that simple yet solemn ceremony had known only joy. It had warmed their blood and had made their hearts sing.

Yoda had watched the hologram of the wedding. The pleasantness that had engulfed him could not last against the flood of memories, however. He had not known about Qui-Gon and Tahl. He had no preparation, no means to help them. With Anakin, the signs of depth were there, but he had chosen to ignore them. Then there was his other blistering mistake. He had learned nothing from the past experiences. He had continued to impose his will, his fears on others.

"Truly pleased for you and for Anakin, I am. Know that, Padmé. What you have made, what you will build for all, I wish you well."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

"Correct you were that love be explained, it cannot."

"No." She smiled, "Anakin and I will have to work on it."

"Look forward to your conclusion, I will."

"You make being angry with you very difficult, Yoda."

"My hope, that is. Senator Skywalker, still something I must ask of you."

"All right."

"Love unarticulated can still be celebrated. As you and Anakin have done, so shall Master Kenobi and Master Tachi."

"I hope so, but Master Yoda…What has that to do with me?"

"For them, a wedding I would like to provide."

"Yoda, that is a lovely thought, and I know you mean well. But they will undoubtedly want to make their own plans."

"To be Kenobi's wife, all Siri desires."

"I meant whatever means you envision their union to be, Yoda."

"Know Mistress Siri, you do. Know you do that visual she is. Leave no doubt in the minds of the Jedi what she is about. Make us see with our own eyes that Kenobi's heart, she is."

"Yes. She is rather…_insistent_ that way. I love that about her. Very well, sir. What do you have in mind?"

"Something tasteful. Something elegant."

"And what is it you would like to ask me? Are you looking for ideas to present to her?"

"Master Obi-Wan, anxious he is to see this done. The Force filled with his anticipation it is. Flowers, we need. Details for the room required, ordered and delivered quickly."

"I know exactly who to contact."

"Good."

"But you should really speak with Siri first, sir. We still do not have the location of where they would like it done."

"Know the perfect place, I do."

"You do?"

"Yes. Not far at all, it is."

Padmé was about to ask where, but the door to the room slid open and the lights came on.

Anakin looked at the two of them huddled close and stared.

Padmé stood and walked across the room to take the tray out of his hands.

"Hello."

Anakin let her take the tray from him. "Hey, angel."

He bowed. "Master Yoda."

"Good morning, Anakin."

"Everything all right here?"

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't they be?"

"Oh, I don't know. You two looked very…serious."

"Came here I did to apologize to your wife for any hurt I may caused both of you."

"That is very decent of you, Master."

"And look what he did for the babies."

"I see."

"Suspicious you look, Anakin. Why?"

"I have never known you to be so forthcoming with admitting you have been wrong, Master. It will take getting used to."

"Anakin, he hopes he will never have to apologize again."

"Really? Then perhaps he should not be plotting something that could get him into trouble."

"Anakin."

Yoda sighed. "Listening, were you?"

"No. But I come in here and you are whispering to each other, and I know both of you very well. I know that look she has in her eyes. Padmé, you were wearing a similar glow yesterday morning before we left for the bunker and you were thinking about…" Anakin's gaze narrowed. "Okay. What have you been talking about?"

"I don't have any idea to what you refer, Anakin."

"She is lying to her husband, Master Yoda. Spill it."

"Your accusatory manner, unsettling it is."

"Master, this is the second time this morning I have walked into a room to find the aura inside deeply unsettling. And let me tell, you do not know the half of it."

"Is everything all right? Did you find Siri, Anakin?"

"Er. Yes."

"Well was she...?"

Anakin gave her a look to quell the rest of her question, and Padmé beamed but diverted, "On her way here to visit?"

"The walls here in Temple," Yoda remarked quietly, knowingly. "Thin, they are."

Padmé felt her face heat and wanted to laugh, but she turned to press it against Anakin's shoulder as he shrugged, "I hadn't noticed, Master."

"Now who lies, Master Skywalker, hmm?"

"I have spoken with Master Obi-Wan and Siri, Master. They are appropriately contrite."

"No, they are not," Yoda replied lightly.

There was no hint of disapproval from him, and it made Anakin even more cautious. "Seriously. What were you two discussing?"

"Explain it to you, your wife will."

Yoda stood and began to leave the room. His manner was cheerful as he stepped past them. "Let me know what I must do, milady."

"Certainly. Let me know what I can do when you are ready."

"Master?"

Yoda turned, "Yes, Anakin?"

"Would you…?" Anakin pointed to the sea of stars above the bassinets.

"Oh yes! Of course." Yoda waved his hand and the lullaby stopped, but the stars, the planes, and the flowers remained.

The door opened but Anakin still called him back. "Master?"

Yoda turned and said patiently, "Yes, Anakin?"

Anakin sighed, "Master, it was kind of you to do this for the babies, but I don't want them to expect or look to using the Force to keep them entertained. Please cease the play."

"The game already in play when I arrived, Master Skywalker. Create it, I did not."

"What? Sure, you did. I was not here and if it wasn't me, then it had to be…"

The children's laughter was almost mocking. Stunned, Anakin looked at them as Padmé gasped, "It's them. _They_ did it!"

"Told you I did," Yoda said, shuffling feebly out the door. "Powerful Jedi they are. Powerful Jedi."

♥

Siri kept her hold of Obi-Wan's hand as she led him into her apartment. Her cheeks ached from all her smiling, but she was pleased. She was more than pleased. She was happy. She was excited. The past few hours with him had been exhilarating, and now he was here.

This apartment had served as a pit-stop for her over the last three years. She had not spent a lot of time here, preferring to work and maintain a routine of service. It made the periods of brief stays here all the more appreciated. It had housed her well, but until now it had never felt like her home.

Soon Obi-Wan would be her husband and he would share the apartment with her. It would be their sanctuary away from their duties and responsibilities.

They were finally going to be a family.

Siri grinned up at him, stroking his cheek.

"Well?" she whispered. "We're here."

He nodded and kissed her palm. "You're home."

"It's home now, yes. It will be your home, too, if you see it fit." She grabbed both of his hands and said excitedly, "Come on. I'll show you around."

Siri showed him the clean, utilitarian kitchen. It was too tidy to Obi-Wan's thinking. Knowing her as he did, this space was clearly the one the least used. Every Jedi knew how to prepare meals for themselves, but it was always a task Siri detested. Outside of her assignments, missions or commissioned jobs, she undoubtedly spent many nights eating out at various diners and restaurants throughout Coruscant.

Obi-Wan grinned at his thoughts as she dragged him back through the living room and up the stairs.

If they were to survive living together, it would be up to him to prepare their sustenance. He felt himself looking forward to their first dinner here.

Siri waved a door opened and pulled him inside the room. "This is the bedroom."

Obi-Wan's gaze fell on the enormous bed in the center of the room.

Siri released his hand to move energetically about the space. "Over here is the closet. As you can see, you'll have plenty of room for your clothes. You will be pleased to note that I obviously do not spend what money I have on lavish clothes. I find—and much to Padmé's chagrin—that I just do not care that much about what I wear. Though she did offer to help me shop. I just…blech. I cannot stand shopping."

His attention remained riveted on the bed. He could not help it. It dwarfed the room with its mammoth size.

"There's several empty drawers for you in the chest. Oh!" Siri raced across the room to his left and waved a pair of doors opened. "This is the sitting room. I've turned into my meditation chambers. Come on, you'll love it! It faces the west. You can see Temple from the balcony. We can sit outside in the evening and watch the sun set…Obi-Wan?"

Several plush pillows laid against the intricate headboard. The coverings were made of slick sky-blue silk. Decorative crystal-beading formed the Jedi Symbol on the duvet.

Awed by the elaborate setting for sleep, Obi-Wan continued to stare.

Watching him, she moved back over to the bed and sat down at the edge.

"You like the bed?" she grinned.

He nodded silently.

She patted it at her side. "Want to try it out?"

"It appears very inviting, yes."

"Then come over here."

He took a step closer and stopped in front of her. "Where did you get it?"

"What?"

He touched her face almost absently. "You would have never chosen this for yourself. It's…"

"I thought you like it."

"I do. It's…beautiful and…_large_. It's very large, and it's very…ornate. Did you really pick this out?"

"Okay. You've got me. It was a gift."

"Ah." He nodded, understanding. "Padmé."

"Actually, no. Padmé gave me my beautiful tea service. The bed…it has a very unique story."

"Oh?" Obi-Wan finally sat down beside her. "I am intrigued."

"Bail."

"Bail?" he frowned.

"Bail."

"Bail Organa?" he asked, eyes wide. "Senator _Organa_?"

"Now _Chancellor_ Organa."

"I consider Bail Organa a friend of mine."

"He's a friend of mine, too." Siri played with his fingers over her lap. "He hired me to…"

"This isn't a story that will perhaps…make me sick, is it?" he sneered with feigned nausea.

Siri laughed out loud. "You're jealous!"

"Do not be absurd."

"Oh no," she chortled mercilessly. "I think it's a very astute observation."

He waved it away impatiently. "Why would Bail Organa give you a bed?"

"He was grateful." Siri enjoyed this a moment. "Considering what I did for him, he thought it appropriate. He had it specially made for me."

"What, in the name of the Force, did you do for him that warrants a bed the size of a moon?"

"It's killing you, isn't it?"

"Siri…"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That night on Commenor we spent together. When we made love, you know very well you are my first. You are my only. I've waited my whole life for you—only you. If you can be so silly about this piece of furniture, I think I am entitled to mock you for it."

Sulking, he sat down beside her. "The mattress is too hard."

"Says the man who has slept many nights on cold, hard, dirt or wet, muddy forest floors."

"So he bought you a bed."

"Yes. Breha, you remember her, don't you? Queen Breha, his wife?"

"Yes."

"Well, she said that it would be my first real luxury. She's very generous."

"She is exceptionally kind."

Obi-Wan meant what he said about the queen of Alderaan, and the tinge of regret in his tone had nothing to do with her. She and Bail had given his love a grand gift to show their appreciation, and he had never brought her so much as a flower. Granted, Siri was not the type for such things, but he could not help thinking that he would never be able to gift her so extravagantly.

Jedi did not have possessions except for their lightsabers. Obi-Wan did not have two credits of his own to rub together. He wondered if Siri had grown accustomed to her life outside of Temple that he would disappoint her.

He took a deep breath. "So it was her idea?"

"No, it was his. But she designed it."

"He hired you. For what?"

"He had suspicions that one of his royal aides was spying for the Trade Federation. Bail asked me to tail the man and discover if his suspicions were true. So, one night, I let myself into the aide's room and…"

"You broke into his room?"

"Well yes, baby. I could hardly ask him for his key, could I? Stop grumbling and let me finish."

"By all means."

"Anyway, I was looking for papers. I was looking for _anything_, really, to take back to Bail. I heard the aide outside his room. He was coming in and I couldn't be discovered so…"

"You could have used your gifts…"

"A mind trick? Err on the side of caution, Kenobi. Anyone suspected of betraying his planet and the Republic, should not be presumed weak-minded. He may be arrogant and greedy but not necessarily stupid."

"Point taken."

"Thank you. As I was saying, he came back early and there was no place to hide but under the bed."

"Ah. Now I understand."

"Not so fast. Turns out the aide was not only a traitor, but his source of intelligence was the senator's housekeeper. She would tell him everything she had discovered throughout the day servicing the senator's office, and the aide would...service her."

"You mean…?"

"Sadly, yes."

Revolted, he empathized. "Oh."

Siri's expression was bland. "They kept me trapped under that bed for nearly twenty-four hours."

"Oh, dear." The humor of it was found, but he checked his grin.

"It was…excruciating." Siri sighed and glanced at the rest of the bed. "Once the job was wrapped, I took another one. When I returned here, oh, a month later, this was here with a note pinned on a pillow that read, 'May you spend your nights comfortably atop the bed than below. Thank you, Master Tachi. Sleep well'."

"It certainly has a lot of room."

"Yes. I could sleep a week in it and never hit the same spot twice."

"I think we can make it work very well for us."

"I know we can." She leaned toward him and whispered seductively, "Starting now."

Her lips touched his. "Siri."

"Hmm?"

"Siri…" Obi-Wan was still as her lips trailed across his cheek and to his ear. "Oh! That's nice."

"Mmm…"

He felt his eyes start to cross and, shivering, tried to duck away. "Siri, wait."

He groaned as her teeth nipped his earlobe.

"What?" she breathed against him.

He placed his hands on her shoulders to draw her back. "Wait."

"Wait?" she repeated dazedly.

He almost leaned into her but stopped himself. "We shouldn't do this now."

"We shouldn't?" Stupidly, she stared at him. Lust fogged her gaze. "Why? We are here alone. There is no one to interrupt us."

"It isn't proper," Obi-Wan declared with conviction.

That broke her stupor. "What?"

"It isn't right."

"It isn't right." Siri caught herself parroting him.

Force, the old adage was true. Couples truly did grow alike. She was beginning to acquire even his more annoying traits.

She shook her head. "Yes, it is. Let me refresh your faulty memory."

"Siri, I am serious."

She pulled back of her own accord this time and replied, "I can see that. Very well, buzz kill. Explain yourself."

"This isn't proper. We should not do this before we wed."

The look she gave him proved her confusion, but she strove for patience. "Um, sweetheart? We have already done it. Seven times, to be exact. Five of those just last night. The jig is up, baby. We've been _bad_."

"I look at you, here, on this bed, and I think…"

Siri groaned and fell back against the bed, rubbing the sudden tension between her eyes with her fingers. "I am going to _kill_ Anakin."

"This is not about Anakin, love. This is your…_our_ bed. I…I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think I would like to wait to share this bed with you until after we are married."

"Oh." She looked back up at him. His expression was soft. He was serious about this. The sentiment touched her.

"Oh, well that's…That's a beautiful gesture. I like that."

He leaned over her and a smile returned to his mouth. "Which, of course, cements that the wedding will happen as soon as humanly possible."

"I hope so."

"You make me very happy."

"That's convenient. I like making you happy."

He sighed. "Our lives are going to be very different."

"Yes," she replied and loving touched his brow. "Our lives will be better."

"Siri, I am still a Jedi of the Order. We may have to spend many times of our life apart, and…"

He paused just long enough for her to prompt him. "And?"

"There are things that I will be unable to provide you…"

"Provide me? Obi-Wan, you are not responsible for…"

"Taking care of you? I beg to differ. You are my wife. There are things a man is supposed to do for his wife, things it is his responsibility to provide."

"Such as?"

"Food…"

"You have my blessing to do all of the cooking…"

"Shelter…"

"This apartment is mine. Bought and paid for. I have the shelter covered. Pun intended…"

Obi-Wan shushed her with his finger over her lips. "Furniture."

She bit him lightly. "There is nothing I need I cannot acquire on my own. I do not need money from you. I have money."

"But I do not have anything to call mine. What exactly am I bringing to you other than an aging face and a rapidly decaying body."

"I happen to love your aging face and there isn't a bloody thing wrong with your body."

"You know what I mean, Siri."

"Yes, and I think you are being monstrously archaic. You improve the quality of my life simply by being in it. I could possess all the riches of the galaxy and they would be meaningless and empty if you were not around to share them with me."

Siri scooted closer to press against him. "I have loved you always. And I have dreamed of you. You are the only thing I want. The rest? Icing on the cake. Nothing more."

"I love you."

She grinned. "I know."

He was about to kiss her but his COMM-link chrono alerted them to an oncoming interruption. Obi-Wan brought his wrist up and pressed a button on the device.

"Kenobi here."

Mace's holographic image appeared. "Master Kenobi. Council is convening in an hour. Your presence is required."

"Yes, Master Windu."

"Summon Mistress Tachi."

"Siri, Master? What is the agenda?"

"Mistress Tachi _is_ the agenda. Windu out."

The cryptic Jedi master disappeared. Siri raised up on her elbows to say, "You know, if we leave now, we can be in the Outer Rim before an hour is up. What do ya say?"

"I say the time has come to face them. Together."

She stood and walked over to the refresher. "I will go clean up."

"Siri?"

She stopped at the doorway. "Yes?"

"Do not be afraid of them."

"I'm not afraid." She crossed the carpet again. Bending, she kissed him long and slow. "They are no match for us, Obi-Wan. They never were."

♥

Padmé caressed the top of Luke's head with her finger and asked her husband, "So Siri did stay the night here with Obi-Wan?"

Anakin, finally replete after breaking his fast, leaned back in his chair facing his wife and cuddled his daughter nestled in the crook of his arm.

"Yes."

He saw her smile and sighed, "My company was not welcome."

"I imagine not."

"You don't have to look so smug, you know."

Padmé settled Luke upon her lap and re-buttoned the front of her gown. "Don't look so flustered, Anakin."

He snorted his response while Leia's tiny fingers latched onto one of his. "It is not proper."

She laughed at him. "Your reaction is extraordinary. Did you know that?"

"They ruined their wedding night with a preemptive strike," he told her. "You are a woman. I would have thought you would be just as perplexed as I am that they would rob themselves of that…I don't know."

"You have a rich streak of propriety, don't you."

"You think I am a prude."

"No. I am just remembering the trip from Coruscant to Naboo after the debacle on Geonosis."

He smiled before he could stop himself but replied with innocence, "I am not sure I know what you're referring to. My behavior was above censure."

"But your hand was down my…"

Anakin sat straight, jostling his little girl enough to make her fuss. He cooed to her for a moment than helplessly pressed her small head against him. He covered her ears. "Padmé. Not in front of the twins."

"Anakin, they don't know what we're talking about. They don't know what _words_ are yet."

"You just want to make fun of me. You have plenty of material, I know, but save it for later. Please?"

Padmé chuckled and brought Luke up to her shoulder and rubbed his back. "You're blushing."

"I may have taken a few liberties, but I stopped…It was _me_, you remember? I am the one who pulled away. _I_ am the one who said we should wait."

"Only because the hydraulics in your new arm were loud enough to draw attention to our room on the shuttle, not because of some sudden onslaught of morals."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is."

He gave up. "Okay. Fine. You win. But I did not have a lifetime of discipline that Obi-Wan claims to have. I was weak and vulnerable…"

"Anakin, stop," she scoffed. "You were not vulnerable. You were angry, and you were excited. But vulnerable?"

"You may dispense with your superiority, angel. I seem to recall that you were quite…excited about it yourself."

"Of course I was. I love you, and I wanted you."

Taken aback by her conviction in his favor, he stared at her with barely suppressed glee. "Oh."

"Yes."

They stared at each other for a long moment, each remembering that brief, aborted foray into passion. Then they smiled. A little wickedly.

"All I am trying to say, Ani, is that surely you remember what it was like to feel that way about me then," she told him. "Now imagine what it must have been like for Obi-Wan."

"Do I have to?"

"Twenty years, Anakin. Twenty years of that longing building up in someone. I cannot speak for Siri but if I would have allowed that yearning to happen, if I were confronted with the same choices, I do not know if I could have lived as admirably and selflessly as she and Obi-Wan."

She placed her free hand on his knee. "And I do not believe you could have either. Your very nature is defined by your passions. I'm just grateful I lead the pack."

"Look. I understand it. Really, I do. But I just wanted…you know. I want them to have something really special. I want them to have what we did."

"Because you love them."

"Absolutely. And I have to say, if I _never_ walk into another situation such as what I did at Obi-Wan's earlier, it will be too soon."

"Did Yoda tell you about what he would like to do for them?"

"Throw the wedding? Yes, he did."

"What do you think?"

"I think he should speak to Obi-Wan and Siri. Obi-Wan is still angry. The last time Master Yoda came between them turned out rather badly. Is that what you two were talking about when I returned? The wedding?"

"Yes. He asked for my help."

"Padmé…"

"I know, I know. You told me yesterday not to interfere but, Ani, it is like you just said. You want them to have something special. That is what Yoda wants, too. And me."

"I mentioned it to Obi-Wan that Yoda would like to help them make plans. He did not appear to be very receptive to the idea, but he did say he would talk to Siri about it."

"Where are they now?"

"He took her home."

Anakin shuddered.

She laughed. "Can you feel them?"

"No. I was just thinking about earlier…Blech."

He adjusted Leia in his arms. She had fallen asleep. He smiled down at her and kept his tone low. "What does Yoda have in mind?"

"The standard, traditional things: flowers, music. That kind of thing."

"And he asked for your help."

"Well, I think I know what Siri would like in those things."

Padmé paused for a moment, her gaze far away. "I wonder how she would feel about a dress…?"

"Siri? In a dress?"

"She would not want white-white, but maybe a beautiful cream-colored gown…"

That familiar gleam entered her eyes, and Anakin frowned in warning, "Padmé…"

"Nothing fluffy or ostentatious, but perhaps a slim silhouette with a scoop-neck with thin straps and a puddle train…"

_What, by the Force, was she talking about_, he thought with amazement.

"No hoops or lace, but a straight skirt that hugs her figure." She absently tapped her chin as she continued, "She likes body-hugging clothes…"

"Padmé."

"Hmm?"

"You are mentally measuring her, aren't you?"

A little guilty, she demurred, "I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

"Yes." He stood and slowly placed Leia in her bassinet. Then he took Luke from her, kissed him, and did the same.

When he turned back to her, he sighed. "Angel, I know you want everything to be as magical for Siri and Master as it was for us, but they are _not_ us. I mean it. Do nothing without consulting her first. Siri has an intense aversion to anyone fussing over her that is rivaled only by the intensity of Obi-Wan's abhorrence of the same."

She stood to argue but he pulled her gently to him. "We do not even know where they want to do it."

"Yoda does."

"What? Where?"

"He did not elaborate. He just said that it was not far and it was the perfect place." She looked at him. "Where do you think he means?"

Anakin took a deep breath and after a few seconds released it. "Well, if I know Yoda, and I think I do now with the state he is in, he wants to return to the scene of his crime. He wants to change the impression of the place."

Padmé's brow knit. "I don't understand."

Anakin shook his head. "It doesn't matter, angel. Yoda will never get the two of them in there together. Way too many bad memories."

The light dawned and Padmé breathed, "The Room of A Thousand Fountains."

"Yeah."

A brief knock sounded on the door only a moment before Master Windu stepped inside the room. He bowed to Padmé and looked at Anakin.

"Council is gathering in chambers in a five minutes," he told them. "We have notified Master Kenobi and Mistress Tachi. Anakin, I would like you to be there as well."

"Certainly, Master," he replied, all-business. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all. We just thought you may want to attend. It's a special session regarding Mistress Tachi."

Anakin glanced at Padmé. "And Obi-Wan."

Mace hedged, "All right. He may have something to do with it, yes. You can keep her company in the atrium until we call you both inside."

"I am on my way, Master."

"I will wait for you in the hall. We can walk to Council together."

"Yes, sir."

"Master Windu?"

"Yes, milady?"

"Thank you for coming after us yesterday. I know you are undoubtedly upset with us, rightfully so…"

Mace's brow quirked. "Why would you think that?"

Padmé looked surprise. "Well, Anakin and I went behind your backs to investigate the bunker…"

"My lady," Mace began with uncharacteristic gentleness. "What you and Master Skywalker do on your own time is no business of mine."

Anakin stared in shock. "It isn't?"

"No, Anakin. Council record still reads that you are on official leave from the Order. Thus, your actions—careless though they may have been—are of no concern to me as they have caused no detriment to the Republic. In fact, your visit there may have saved it. Again."

Stunned, Anakin and Padmé exchanged a glance before Anakin replied, "Thank you, Master."

Mace nodded once and turned on his heels. "But Anakin?"

"Yes, Master?"

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Never do anything of the like again without giving yourself back-up. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very good."

Mace walked out, and Anakin turned to his wife. "What do you make of that?"

Padmé answered without hesitation. "I think all the changes in the Jedi Order are going to more difficult for him than any other to accept."

"He does not seem too distraught. He actually seemed very pleasant. He almost broke a smile there."

"That's it, darling. You Jedi edit any more of your codes, and people may finally discover that Mace Windu is a very _nice_ man."

Anakin thought of everything he had ever known about Master Windu and heartily disagreed with her, but he hadn't the time for debate. Instead, he told her, "I have to go. I sent word to Captain Typho and Motee with Artoo. They will be here soon to take you home."

"What about you?"

"Hopefully, session will not be long and I will be back here before they arrive." He kissed her forehead. "I will let you know everything when I get back."

♥

The doors to the lift shut and Siri sighed in relief. "Is it me or was everyone staring at us in the Grand Hall? I feel like every single Jedi knows what we were doing last night."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Some do. Others are simply curious."

"How can you be so cavalier?" She smacked his arm.

He smirked as he rubbed his arm. "Why are you so violent when you're flustered?"

"I am thinking of you, you know. It's your reputation on the line here."

"How do you figure that?"

The doors opened and they stepped out onto the concourse of Council floor.

Siri answered, "It could very well undermine your authority."

"I have no authority."

"Yes, you do. You know they will recommend you to take another padawan now that Anakin is a knighted Master, Obi-Wan. What do you think about that?"

"As long as the padawan's name doesn't end with 'Skywalker', I am fine with it."

"Oh, dear."

Obi-Wan sighed. "What now, love?"

"What if we are being called to Council for last night?"

"Siri, I am certain they have better things to address than the two of us…"

"Don't say it."

"Siri…"

"You do not have the experience I have with being scolded before everyone we love in that room. You have no idea what it is like."

"Do not project fear, Siri. Else they may bring up the subject when they were not in the start."

They stopped in the atrium. The Council doors were open, and they could see the others taking their seats inside. Yoda waved to them.

Siri gave a small wave in return and put on her brightest smile. Then she returned to Obi-Wan. "I sense a plot."

Good-naturedly, he whispered. "No, you do not."

"Mace said I am the reason for this meeting, baby." She glanced back into the room. "That can't be good."

"It cannot be presumed bad either, Mistress."

She turned to face the arrivals. "Good morning, Master Windu. Hi, Anakin."

"Obi-Wan, let us go. Siri, please wait here with Master Skywalker until you are called."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan spoke quietly to Siri. "All is well. We will not be long."

Siri nodded, and Anakin stepped behind her, his comforting hands on her shoulders, and said, "She'll be fine. Good luck in there."

"Obi-Wan, I love you."

He turned around and grinned. "I know."


	41. The Jedi

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars characters. The plot, descriptives and dialogue of this alternate universe story are mine.

Chapter Forty-One- The Jedi

"I am going to forego the usual call of minutes from last session so we may get sooner to the reason for this one," Mace addressed the room.

Obi-Wan turned to his seat to face him. "Should I move to center?"

"No need, Master Kenobi. Keep your seat."

Ki-Adi said, "Everything that happened on your mission to the prison with Ventress is more than sufficiently documented, Obi-Wan. You are to be commended for both your restraint with Ventress and keeping casualties to a minimum."

Obi-Wan remembered the three fallen guards his Force-deflection had killed and whispered, "I tried to avoid them."

"Master Kenobi, the security holograms showed us everything we need to know," Aayla told him. "Obi-Wan, you did what you could. They were firing at you too quickly. There was nothing more you could have done without needlessly sacrificing yourself. Without you as a shield, Ventress could have died or worse. She could have escaped."

"Asajj did die, Master Secura. She died saving _my_ life."

"Yes," Stass nodded. "That is utterly beyond explanation, and you should not feel accountable for her decision to do so."

"It's neither here nor there," Mace replied. "It is finished. Master Skywalker's reconnaissance in the bunker was a success. Chancellor Organa is personally overseeing the process of its dismantling. Holovids are being produced to record the walls. Hopefully, we can begin decryption of the maps and symbols in our Archives."

Mace turned to Obi-Wan. "That is where Mistress Tachi comes in."

Genuinely puzzled, Obi-Wan asked, "What does that have to do with Siri?"

Shaak-Ti answered, "Siri spent much time with Palpatine and with Count Dooku. She gathered intelligence on both for years. She may be able to make sense of what is on those walls."

"Let's not forget that she is also the best spy the Jedi have ever produced," Ki-Adi remarked. "Despite her rather avant-garde nature, she has a very cool analytical head. Her senses of visual reasoning are acute."

Obi-Wan nodded, thinking aloud, "So you think to employ her here at Temple."

The Masters glanced around at each other, and Obi-Wan continued, "If she were to be asked to do this, you would be asking her to forsake her livelihood. The decryption of Sidious' bunker could take months. It could take years."

He looked at each of them individually and added, "And the Archives have never been managed by anyone other than a Jedi Master."

Pointedly, Obi-Wan finished, "Thoroughly belonging and an active, _unimpeachable_ member of the Jedi Order."

Even Stass Allie smiled at Master Kenobi's vehement inference. "Master Kenobi, Mistress Tachi's present status with the Order has not been forgotten."

"So you are willing to bend another dictate of the Codes?"

"Not exactly," Shaak-Ti grinned.

Obi-Wan could not return her good-nature. Their casual poses made him suspicious. They were entirely too…happy.

"So you think to offer Siri the chance to return to the Order in exchange for _what_?" That he kept the anger out of his voice was generous. "Is it your hope that by conceding her Mastery, giving her back her place—that she has more than earned—that she will, oh, I don't know, _not_ marry me?"

Every one of them frowned. Aayla said, "You are jumping to a lot of erroneous conclusions lately, Obi-Wan."

"An unfortunate habit acquired of the last two days, Master Secura," he replied, glancing meaningfully at Yoda on his left.

"Your wish to marry Mistress Tachi is no longer an issue for us, Master Kenobi," Ki-Adi said. "The two of you may proceed with it. And with our blessing."

Obi-Wan said nothing.

Mace sighed. "You do not believe us."

"A mere twenty-four hours ago, you were greatly divided on the subject of Siri and I, Master." Obi-Wan watched them all. "Now I am to believe all of your doubts have been alleviated in the single act of Ventress' death by self-sacrifice. What has really changed your minds?"

"The truth of our intentions is benign, Obi-Wan," Mace replied. "The winds of change are rising…"

"And if the principles of this Order are to be preserved, we must ride them."

Shaak-Ti said, "These are not concessions we present you, Obi-Wan…"

Aayla added, "We believe them to be necessary to ensure peace. Not only amongst the Jedi but within the Republic as well."

Stass Allie put it plainly. "We do not want to lose you, Obi-Wan. And we never wanted to lose Siri. Never. Her resignation was a blow to all of us and not one we would like to see repeated."

"Much of the conflict among us was caused by our unwillingness to accept things we had no hope of changing," Mace told them. "We lost Siri because we ignored her feelings for you. We nearly lost Skywalker because of our blind adherence to the rules. His loss would have been significant and tragic."

"To continue depriving the Jedi to their rights to feel very human emotions would be disastrous."

"There are things we must take on faith. We understand that now."

"The Jedi cannot function in pieces or sects, Obi-Wan."

"We must remain a unit."

Obi-Wan's skepticism faded but he said, "You should discuss this with her."

Mace nodded. "And we shall. But there is one thing we want from you before we call her inside."

"What is that?"

"Her husband you are to be," Yoda finally spoke. "Inquire your opinion we will before bringing the decision to Mistress Tachi."

Obi-Wan looked him in the eyes. "I will not use her love for me to influence any decision she makes, Master Yoda. She will be my wife, that is true. But her mind is her own."

"Know that, we do. Save her a step, all we want. She will ask you first, Obi-Wan. As you would her, were the situation reversed."

Obi-Wan looked at each of them and nodded. "Very well."

He leaned forward. "What do you have in mind?"

Out in the vestibule, Siri sat on a padded bench with Anakin at her side. They had not spoken for a while. Anakin had sensed her nervousness and left her alone to her thoughts.

"Why are you holding my hand?"

Anakin looked at her. "I'm not. You are holding mine."

Siri looked down. "Oh." She dropped it. "Sorry."

"So!" Anakin rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. "How about this weather? Nice, huh?"

She turned to him. "What are you doing?"

"I am trying to distract you. Your fidgeting is driving me crazy."

"Well, you don't have to sit here," she snapped back. "Breathing all over me…Master Windu think I needed a babysitter?"

"No. He said there was something going on with Council concerning you that I may like to witness."

"Taken a perverse interest in executions? That's what they probably have in mind."

Her leg shook violently against his, and Anakin hissed, "Would you please _relax_?"

"I haven't felt them all morning, Ani. You think they are angry about yesterday?"

"Siri, I really have no idea." He slapped his hand down on her twitching knee. "Please, _please_ stop fretting."

"So you have no idea what this may be?"

"Nope. I'm as clueless as you."

"I can't read a damn thing going on in there. Not even Obi-Wan. Can you?"

Anakin grinned. "I think they are on to us, Master. Noticed anything different about the atrium since yesterday?"

Siri looked around the gorgeous space. There was nothing different about the décor. She surveyed the walls with her gaze. There were no new camera installations or other recording devices. She reached out into the Force.

In a matter of seconds, she groaned, "Oh, for stars' sake…"

Anakin chuckled. "Yep. Force-sensitive."

"Now what are we supposed to do?"

His brow raised. "May I propose we continue to wait patiently?"

She glared, "What do _you_ think?"

"I think you would rather vent your spleen on me." He stood and reached for his lightsaber. "Want to spar?"

Siri looked from his face to his weapon and back. "Now that's just mean."

"I am perfectly serious," he said straight-faced. "It will release some of the tension."

He reached out his hand. "Come on. Up with you."

She took his hand and raised. "Ani, it has seemed to escape you that you have unfair advantage."

He ignited his saber. "How so?"

"Well, love, you have a lightsaber." She indicated her empty utility belt. "I am lacking of the proper defense."

"Ah…" He reached behind him and held out her weapon. "Here you go."

"Oh, Anakin," Siri breathed and smiled at him. "You are a wonderful person, and I love you."

The gold blade extended and she watched it with appreciation. "I could kiss you."

She made a move to do just that, but Anakin playfully stepped back. "Please don't. We are in Temple, my wife is upstairs, and I know where those lips have been."

She lightly swatted at him but he easily deflected. The grin didn't leave his face.

She disengaged, the hum of her saber disappearing as the blade retracted. "I take it back. You are a miserable brat. That is the truth."

Anakin shut his off. "I have been meaning to thank you for letting Padmé carry that. Turns out, it came in very handy."

She sat back down. The concern for her friend could be heard in her tone. "How is she?"

"The usual," he shrugged and again sat down next to her. "My wife is exceptionally strong. We know that. She is fine with the act itself, killing the Sith, but this morning she confessed to being worried that the evil returns. It always does. Then Luke and Leia will be faced with the knowledge that they are hunted."

"And you told her…?"

"That it was over, the Sith are destroyed, and they will never have to confront that degree of evil."

"But you don't believe that any more than she does."

"I do not like her being afraid. If I can assuage her fears, I will. My method of doing it is inconsequential to me."

"I understand."

"Thanks. I will not always be there to keep them safe. They have to be their own people, but I can make certain they know every way there is to fight. Even when it's dirty. I have to be realistic."

"I agree, and that is what Vaapad is for."

"Master Windu's preferred fighting style."

"Hey, don't knock it. It works. It's how Asajj only slashed me instead of, you know…cutting in twine."

Anakin grinned as he draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. Siri rested her head on his shoulder.

"You still jumpy?" he asked her.

"I am not jumpy. I'm just ready for this part to be over."

"They are not going to deny either of you, Siri."

"I am afraid my romance has made me a ninny, Anakin. Would you have ever imagined me a bundle of nerves over anything?"

He tried but chose to answer her honestly. "No."

"No. But here I am, shaking and sweating, afraid that the Jedi Council will, once again, choke any semblance of hope from my chest. Only this time, I would be taking Obi-Wan with me."

She closed her eyes and sighed, "I don't like that very much."

"Let Obi-Wan think about Obi-Wan. You are worrying too much."

Anakin wrapped both arms around her and squeezed. "Besides, if you take Obi-Wan with you, Temple will no longer be the location for the eager scratching of your various itches. That's reason for Council to celebrate."

He laughed when she gasped. She knew what his jibe was in reference to. She struggled against his embrace, still deeply embarrassed that he knew so much about her now.

"Anakin!" she chortled in reprimand. "You're going to hold that over our heads forever, aren't you?

"Nah," he chuckled. "Just for a couple of decades."

He grunted when she punched his stomach but still held on and her laughter joined his.

"Let me go!"

"No."

"I can't breathe, you brute!" She was laughing so hard she was wheezing. "Let me go. Anakin, you smell!"

"I am kind of ripe, aren't I?" He started to pull her head toward his shoulder.

"No!"

The doors to Council chambers slid opened, and Mace stared at them with wonder.

Anakin saw him and dropped his arms, his laughter fading.

"Siri." He nudged her.

"What?" She turned her head and tried to catch her breath. "Master Windu!"

"What were you doing?"

"Meditating," Anakin blurted.

Siri smoothed her hair with her fingers. "Are you ready for me, Master?"

Mace sighed. "We are never ready for you, Mistress Tachi, but come in anyway."

She and Anakin stood and followed Master Windu into chambers. She walked directly into center circle and bowed. Anakin stood a couple of paces away from her. When she looked at Obi-Wan, he was unsmiling until his eyes met hers.

His grin warmed her, and it was all she needed to withstand whatever they were about to toss her way. But as she concentrated on the essences within the room, she could truly discern no cause for alarm. The air did not crackle with hostility as it had yesterday when she was here.

She found that peculiar. Welcomed, but strange.

"You are looking healthier with each passing hour, Mistress."

That commanded her attention and she looked just to her left. "Thank you, Master Mundi. I _feel_ much better."

"Your arm has improved mobility?"

Siri noticed the way Master Secura stared at her with enraptured curiosity and the mischievous glint in Shaak-Ti's eyes as she watched Siri from beside her.

Siri's gaze narrowed on them for a moment before replying to Stass, "Yes, Master. It seems to be fine. I do not even require the sling any longer."

"You heal very quickly, Siri," Shaak-Ti volunteered brightly. "You must tell me what manner of _therapy_ you use."

It suddenly occurred to Siri that Shaak-Ti, Aayla and Mace had been standing together in the Grand Hall last night when she and Obi-Wan had escaped upstairs to…

Watching the recognition finally dawn on her friend, Shaak-Ti's grin broadened and she goaded, "As a matter of fact, I do not believe I have ever seen you looking so…refreshed. You are positively glowing. Isn't she, Master Secura?"

Aayla Secura was considered to be the more powerful of the three women physically. Her own beauty was ignored by her, and feminine humor was lost as she preferred the non-gender specific path of the Jedi Codes. Shaak-Ti had explained to her the reason for Master Kenobi and Siri's strong and fiercely energetic aura last night, and now, looking at her friends and knowing what they had done, she was at a loss for an appropriate response.

A foreign heat filled her lovely cheeks. "Yes, I suppose so."

Siri held her erect posture but managed to say through her teeth, "And thank _you_, Master Shaak-Ti."

"You are welcome."

Mace groaned. "Master Shaak-Ti, are you finished ribbing her?"

"For now, Master, yes."

"Good. Now that they have assured you of your good health, we can get to the business at hand."

"I would like to preface this meeting by saying that for whatever it is I am accused, I am heartily sorry…"

"No, you are not." Obi-Wan muttered.

"And shall make it up to all of you," she finished. She let out her breath.

"What is it you believe you have done to warrant our displeasure?"

Ki-Adi looked so innocent, she didn't know what to say. How much did he know about last night?

Siri prevaricated. "Anakin and I set out on a personal mission yesterday that could have jeopardized the standing of the Jedi Order within the Senate."

"And yet it did not."

"I stood in here yesterday and provoked all of you as a diversion."

"Your presence in Council chambers has always provoked us for one reason or another, Mistress. I do not imagine that will change—diversion or no."

Back to Ki-Adi. "Then I am not being reprimanded?"

"No, you are not. In fact, we would like to congratulate you."

"You would?"

"Yes," Mace replied.

"For what?"

"Your upcoming nuptials, naturally."

She glanced from Stass to Obi-Wan. "Really?"

"Of course."

"I was just as surprised as you are," Obi-Wan told her. He shrugged, "Be happy, love."

"I…I am," she stuttered. This overall good cheer of the group was almost surreal.

She smiled with gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you very much. Is that why you called me here? To congratulate me personally?"

"No," Mace answered, his features still stoic.

Her smile faded. "Of course not."

"Your stealth actions yesterday reminded us how well-trained you are in the Jedi arts," Mace began. "You are incredibly talented, and your initiative serves you well."

"But my decision making process needs work. I should have told you all what I was doing. I know."

"The Force is strong with you. It stands to reason that Its strength supplements your will for good or bad. Your motives for not discussing it with us first have not eluded us, Mistress," Ki-Adi said. "You have throughout your life been a proponent for action, not debate."

"You did not want to report unless or until there was something _to_ report." Shaak-Ti smiled warmly. "See? We know you better than you think."

"Masters, with respect…" Siri paused for a moment to contemplate her wording. "I am afraid that your smiling and your compassion and your seemingly endless well of praise is a bit disconcerting."

"Why?"

"Thirty-six years of experience with Council. You want something from me. What is it?"

Mace took a deep, fortifying breath. "Siri, Chancellor Organa is removing the bunker for research here in the Temple Archives. We would like you to accept a position here as the leader of the team to study it."

She stared at him. "What?"

"With your background, you are the perfect person to assume such a dubious task. Your experiences with Dooku and Sidious make you the only person alive to make sense of it with any hope of quick speed," Ki-Adi responded.

"If you take this responsibility, we will naturally compensate you well for your time."

Out of habit, she waved off the subject of money away, "No, that isn't the issue…"

"You would, of course, spend a great deal of time here," Aayla added. "There is no telling how much time it will take, and your business transactions outside of Coruscant will have to be kept at a minimum."

"But the benefits would be…"

Siri held up her hand to cease Stass' list of motivations. "Wait."

She questioningly looked at Obi-Wan. He remained silent. The look in his eyes urged her with confidence.

Siri wet her lips and addressed the room. "This is a, um, surprise. I am flattered and grateful for your faith in me, but…"

"But?"

"Master Windu, the Archives contain the life's blood—if you will—of the Jedi Order," she said succinctly. "Only ordained Masters of the Order manage the Archives."

"You _are_ a Jedi Master, Siri," Obi-Wan reminded her.

"But I resigned my commission from the Order…"

"We know that," Mace replied.

"…You would be breaking another code if…"

"We would like you to come back to the Jedi, Siri."

Siri felt her heart stop. Her mouth went dry.

"What?" she croaked.

"We would like for you to resume your rightful place in the Order," Mace reiterated. "You belong with us, Siri. We are your family."

The shock from the words made her immobile. Siri reached into the Force searching their thoughts, hunting their ulterior motive. The lack of trickery or deception did not make their offer any more believable. She looked at Obi-Wan once more.

"Obi-Wan…" His name was all she could manage.

Obi-Wan stood up from his chair and reached her side in two strides. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "They are serious, my love. They want to give you your robes back. You have the mastery, if you want it."

Siri gripped his hand as if to anchor herself. Her tone was composed, and she looked at Yoda. "What is the catch?"

It was Mace who answered. "There is no catch, Siri. For the first time in years, we are looking toward peace in the galaxy. Much of that has been through your efforts."

She felt the sting in her eyes and took a deep breath. "You will allow me the mastery and Obi-Wan as my husband?"

"Siri," Mace called on a breath, his expression one of deep affection. "You have earned it."

Mace held out his left hand and her lightsaber flew from her belt and into his palm. He ignited it, and she heard the fizzle and hum of the others doing the same.

She looked up at her love. "What do you think?"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I cannot tell you what to do."

"What. Do. You. Think?"

"We would not be apart nearly as much if you return to the Order. You would always know where I am and better, I will know you are far from too much trouble."

Her mind raced. "I like that 'not apart' thing."

"You will still be able to work outside of here, and we will still live in the apartment. You have nothing to relinquish and everything to gain."

"You are the most important."

"You have me."

She turned her head toward the door where Anakin stood. The piercing blue of his eyes could be seen from the shadows and matched the hue of his ignited blade. He nodded to her briskly. "Take it, Master."

Siri released Obi-Wan and stepped before Mace. She kneeled and said, "I accept, Master Windu."

She bowed her head. Mace held her saber in his left hand and ignited his own with his right. "Siri Tachi, having bested the trials of self, of flesh and of Sith, I dub thee Master Jedi Knight of the Grand Republic..."

Mace solemnly waved the tip of his saber from atop her right shoulder to her left. "Again."

"Master Tachi."

Siri raised her head and turned it to face Yoda. "Yes, Master?"

Yoda smiled. "Rise."

When she stood, Siri was quickly surrounded by her friends. She shook their hands, smiling profusely as she accepted their good wishes and congratulations.

Mace grinned as he said, "Congratulations, Master Tachi."

"Thank you, Master."

He used the hand he held to pull her closer and whispered, "And my lightsaber blade is _not_ pink."

Siri blushed. He released her, winked and stepped for Shaak-Ti.

Siri grabbed hold of Shaak-Ti, and they embraced.

Siri kept her grin as she whispered, "How much do you know about last night?"

Shaak-Ti squeezed her. "Everything."

Siri rocked her from side to side. "How much may I pay you to forget it?"

"There are not enough credits in the galaxy, Tachi."

Helplessly hopeful and happy, Siri could only laugh as she pulled away. "I never knew you were so greedy and cruel, old friend."

"Your secrets are safe with me, Siri," Shaak-Ti smiled, watching Obi-Wan shoulder his way toward them. "You just keep me in mind when it is time your daughter requires training."

The promise came easily from Siri. "Done."

She hugged Shaak-Ti once more. "Thank you."

"I have done nothing."

"You have been a friend to me—to _us_—through everything. Don't think we don't know it, Shaak-Ti. Thank you."

Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her around. They stared into each other's eyes.

Shaak-Ti stepped back and replied brokenly. "I, er, I think I will…"

Obi-Wan bent Siri back for a long kiss, and Shaak-Ti stared with awe.

"…Go somewhere else," she finished and stepped over within the rest of the group.

Obi-Wan brought her upright and broke the kiss. Content, he rested his cheek against the top of her head and sighed.

"And you have always claimed that I worry too much," he whispered, his eyes closed and his arms holding her.

"If this is the kind of happiness that occurs when I overthink, then I shall have to do it more often."

She leaned back and cupped his face with her hands. "I'm back in the fold, Kenobi. You'll never be rid of me now."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "There is only one more thing left for us to do before we hold perfection in our hands."

She nodded and kissed him. "Tell me again."

"Marry me."

She met his stare. "Yes. Let's do it. Let's do it right now."

"Now?"

"Let's pull a Skywalker and be real simple about it. We're here in Temple, and one of the Masters can officiate."

"Master Tachi!"

They both turned and the crowd parted to reveal Yoda standing and watching them intently.

"Yes, Master?"

Yoda stepped haggardly across the floor to them. He leaned on his gimmer stick and said, "Wed, you shall."

"I know, Master."

"Tomorrow." He held up his hand when her smiling mouth was about to speak. "Just a moment. Please. You will be married, but concede the Jedi time to prepare you should. No longer a wait for such things so that mere hours will matter."

Anakin wisely bowed his head against the speech and remained silent.

Though he knew exactly what their beloved Master was up to with his stalling.

Siri glanced at Obi-Wan and he told her, "It's up to you."

"Excuse us for just a moment," she said aloud.

The Masters dispersed and some left while others remained on the far side of the room talking amongst themselves. Obi-Wan and Anakin remained close by as she crouched down before Yoda.

"What are you thinking, Master?" she asked quietly, the smile on her face soft.

"That tomorrow I will see two of my younglings joined by the Force," he whispered hoarsely.

Touched, she did not mind the tears that came to her eyes. "Are you happy about that?"

"Happier I will be if allow me to perform the ceremony."

"I would not have it any other way," she gladly assured him.

"Trust me to do right by you and by Master Kenobi, Siri," he pleaded.

"Oh, Master…" She gently folded her arms around his small body, and his little hands flexed against her back. "You already have."

"No, not yet. Arrange the festivities I shall, if you but agree."

She reared back. "Master, you don't have to…"

"Want to, I do. Nothing extravagant, I promise."

Siri watched his face. "You promise."

"I do."

She chuckled. "I think that's my line."

"By this time, tomorrow, Obi-Wan's wife you shall be."

"Then I can ask for nothing more in this life."

"Depend on me, you may, to be discreet."

Now, he looked like the Jedi Master she had always known and loved: confident and utterly in control.

"Very well, Master Yoda. I will leave the particulars to you."

"Good."

He began to walk away, the spryness returning to his steps, and Siri felt a sinking sensation that she'd just been conned. It was not a feeling of foreboding, but nevertheless…

"Anakin?"

She straightened and took Obi-Wan's proffered hand as Anakin came closer.

Anakin bowed, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it."

"It's protocol, Master."

She ignored that. "Do you sense anything…odd…about Master Yoda?"

"No," he told her. "Why do you ask?"

She thought for a moment then shook her head. "Forget it. It's nothing."

She said to Obi-Wan, "He wants to make the arrangements for the wedding. I told him that was fine. Did you have something of your own in mind?"

"I am for anything that makes you legally my wife," he answered explicitly. "I have never been one for details."

"Right," she mouthed sarcastically, then shrugged. "That's that then. So…we have the rest of the day and night to celebrate." She grinned up at him. "What do you want to do?"

He grinned back but before he could answer, Anakin pulled them apart.

Anakin's expression was stern. "You will _both_ come _with me_ to take Padmé and the babies home."

"Anakin, you needn't worry about…"

"Ah!" He put a hand over Obi-Wan's mouth. "Do not say it. Do not think it. You will be married tomorrow and until that moment arrives, you will not leave my sight, Master."

Obi-Wan removed the hand none-too-gently. "I am a grown man, Anakin, and I will…"

"Do not argue with him, baby," Siri laughed. "He has his 'resolve' face on."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I was going to suggest, _padawan_, that Siri and I give the news to our friends."

"You don't have any friends," Anakin retorted. He waved his hand to indicate the room. "We're it, and we'll be here."

"What about Dex? And Han?" Obi-Wan countered.

Anakin brought his wrist up and pushed the sleeve of his robe out of the way. He pressed his COMM-link and called, "Artoo? Artoo, if you copy, send a message to Dex…"

Obi-Wan was bug-eyed. "Anakin! This is a personal matter…"

Anakin, satisfied with his display, replied, "It is my job as your best man to…"

"You are not my best any thing…"

"It is my responsibility to keep watch of you should you try to bolt…"

"Bolt? I am not going to bolt…"

"Since you cannot maintain certain senses of honor where Siri is concerned, it is up to me to…"

"What the Sith is a 'best' man anyway? You are growing more and more pompous with each second today, Anakin…"

Sighing dramatically, Siri stepped around them to leave them to their absurd, yet so sadly, routine bantering with one another. The bonds of their familiarity had taken on an argumentative ritual usually reserved to those of shared blood. They verbally sparred like true siblings.

_Stars, _she thought as she walked casually out of the room. They were so in to their words, they failed to see her leave. Siri loved them deeply, but they truly had spent entirely too much time together over the years.

♥

Hours later at 500 Republica, the Skywalker twins were properly settled in their own cribs as their parents played hosts to the affianced Kenobis.

Their protocol droid, C-Threepio stepped out from the terrace to call, "Dinner is served, Master Anakin."

The sunset had been so beautiful and the temperature of the night so mild that Anakin had decided that their private celebratory meal should be outdoors. Threepio had seen to its preparation both in the kitchen and on the table with minimal effort and in no time at all.

"Thank you, Threepio."

The group stood from their seats in the living area and followed Anakin.

"Threepio has rung the bell. Let the cattle in Anakin's stomach get through," Obi-Wan muttered.

"Don't start, Obi-Wan," Siri chided.

"I heard that."

"Anakin…" Padmé pulled him along as they stepped out onto the terrace. "Threepio, the table looks wonderful. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Padmé. I shall see to serving you momentarily. I must fetch the wine."

"Bring champagne if you have it, Threepio."

"Yes, of course, General Kenobi."

"Thank you."

"Yes, Threepio. Thank you. Force forbid Master not get a good drink," Anakin drawled as he pulled out Padmé's chair for her.

Obi-Wan Force-pushed the chair back before Siri could seat herself. He would not be outdone in chivalry. He held the chair as she sat and gently pushed her toward the table. "I will not let you goad me into another pointless argument, Anakin."

Anakin took his seat next to his wife and winked at her. "He wants to impress Siri with his attempts at maturity."

"I need not 'attempt', young one," Obi-Wan replied as he sat down. "I _am_ mature."

Siri looked at Padmé over the fragrant bouquet of flowers at the center of the table. "I threatened to knock their heads together if they did not behave themselves."

"Whatever works," Padmé replied in solidarity.

Anakin laughed and leaned back in the chair to look up at the sky.

It was a good night. He could hear his wife and their best friends talking and laughing—probably at his expense—but he didn't care.

It was finally over. There was no tremor. There was not so much as a shudder in the Force. The evil had been vanquished, and in its place was an unshakable calm. Peace was enveloping the galaxy. He would not think about the future. He definitely would not reach into the past. Contentedness washed over him, and he embraced it.

This time with Padmé, their children and Obi-Wan and Siri would be the best of his life.

He had so much to look forward to that he would not remember the haunting of his past. For the first time, Anakin truly believed that the dragon inside him was gone.

He closed his eyes and sighed his bliss.

The loud clatter of silverware on china broke his reverie, and Anakin found Obi-Wan watching him, his expression tranquil.

"What are you thinking about?" Obi-Wan whispered.

The women giggled between them as Threepio dished their appetizers.

Anakin smiled hearing it, then turned back to his master. "What a difference a couple of days can make."

Obi-Wan thought for a moment and nodded. He leaned close so only Anakin could hear him.

"I know you have learned a lot about yourself in the last twenty-four hours, the shock of which is a lifetime's worth," he said quietly. "But if it is any consolation, Anakin, I am very proud of you. Qui-Gon would be, too."

Anakin felt his chest swell with pleasure. "Thanks, Obi-Wan. That means a lot to me. As ever."

"This is a great night for us, my friend. I'm glad I'm here."

"So am I. He misses you, too, Obi-Wan. I know Qui-Gon wishes he could be here with us tomorrow. I know this must make him very happy."

"He has earned the right to peace as well as we have."

"And we will all have it now. We will not take it for granted. That is what I can offer my parents. And that is what we will give them. _Peace_."

They shared a silent moment of understanding.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and sat back. "So!"

He unfurled his napkin to place it on his lap and smiled at his fiancée. "What is a 'best man'?"

Siri frowned. "Don't look at me. I have no idea." She turned to Padmé again. "_I_ still don't know why Motee was following me with measuring tape. What was she doing?"

"Yes, angel," Anakin smirked. "What _was_ she doing?"

Padmé outright lied. "She wasn't following you, honey. She was taking the dimensions of the room. You just happened to be in the spots she needed."

Confused, Siri was going to ask another question when Padmé chimed, "To answer your question, Obi-Wan, a best man serves as the groom's assistant, of sorts."

"What do you mean?"

Anakin swallowed a bite of his vegetables. "In a standard wedding ceremony, the best man is the person who lends his support to the groom for things like keeping him on schedule, holding the rings for exchange."

"It is a bit more profound than that," Padmé smiled. "The best man is supposed to represent solidarity, solemnity..."

Siri squeezed Obi-Wan's hand lovingly. "Brotherhood."

"Oh," Obi-Wan breathed and met Anakin's gaze.

Padmé concluded, "Traditionally, the best man is the groom's best friend."

"I see." Obi-Wan grinned. "Oh, Anakin?"

"I will stand right next to you, Master," Anakin said soberly. "It would be my honor."

Siri felt the damnable tears well again and decided to quip, "And if for any reason Anakin cannot fulfill his obligations as best man, here is Threepio to take his place."

"I beg your pardon, Mistress Tachi?" Threepio politely inquired as he returned with a bottle of champagne.

The spell of seriousness was broken, and Anakin grinned, "Hey, he did a wonderful job as mine."

"Your what, sir?"

Obi-Wan started with surprise. "_Threepio_ was your best man?"

"Baby, have you still not seen that holograph?" Siri asked.

"Oh! You must be talking about Master Ani and Miss Padmé's wedding!"

"Yes, Threepio, and I was just telling Obi-Wan how well you served me."

"Well I did what I could, sir."

Padmé watched him cautiously. "Threepio, be mindful of the cork."

"Oh, yes. We shant have a repeat of the last time, madam."

Smiling her curiosity, Siri asked, "What happened last time?"

Anakin groaned at the memory. "We opened a bottle after I was knighted and had returned from a mission. It was the first opportunity Padmé and I had to celebrate it, and Threepio here nearly took my eye out."

Padmé could laugh about it now, and it felt good to do so. "Threepio was so flustered and apologetic, he spilled most of the champagne on the floor."

"It will not happen," Threepio grunted as he desperately tried to pull the cork free as gently as possible. "I have been practicing on an empty bottle."

Obi-Wan looked skeptical. "Threepio, would you like some help?"

"No thank you, General." His tone was unfailingly polite even through the depth of his efforts. "It is my honor and privilege to serve you."

With every upward movement of his hands, each member of the dinner party flinched back.

He grunted when he finally accomplished his goal and quickly gained his composure. "Ah. Here we go."

They extended their glasses for him.

When each glass was filled, Padmé raised hers aloft. "I believe this occasion calls for a toast."

"What shall we drink to?" Obi-Wan smiled.

"You're the ones getting married tomorrow," Anakin replied. "How about to the bride and groom?"

Obi-Wan and Siri dropped their glasses, and she said with honest humility, "We cannot drink to us."

"Then, you pick, sweetheart," Anakin told her.

"We should each list one thing," she said. She held up her glass and looked at each of them. "To good friends."

Anakin leaned further over the table to offer, "Family."

Obi-Wan was as reverent as his Anakin as he said, "Qui-Gon Jinn."

The three of them turned to Padmé, whose smile was luminous before the candlelight. "To the Jedi."

"Here, here."

In unison their glasses clinked and after a quiet moment of personal reflections, this group of friends, of family and of Jedi celebrated the incredible blessings of their lives in a time of peace.

It was a good night.

**Coming Soon: The Conclusion of, _The Jedi Change_**


	42. Change

**The Jedi Change**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars characters. The plot, descriptives and dialogue of this alternate universe story are mine.

Chapter Forty-Two- Change

Anakin rechecked the power cord protruding from Artoo and attached to the outlet in the wall. He gave Artoo a reassuring pat on the dome.

"You're all-set, Artoo," he said quietly. "You will be back to your usual self in no time."

_Whirl, beep._

Anakin rolled his eyes and wiped his hands on a nearby towel. "I know, Artoo. I know. You downloaded too much. What did I tell you about that?"

_Beep, whorl, whirl._

"Do not blame Master Yoda," he said amid the droid's protest. "I am certain he gave you only necessary codes and drives. It was your gluttony for information—and your nosiness—that has nearly caused you to short-circuit. You will not do that again. Even for me. Understood?"

_Whirl, whorrllll_…

He replaced his tools in their box. "I do not wish to be harsh with you, Artoo, but you must understand that I only tell you these things for your own good. You mustn't go around trusting every computer you come across. It is too dangerous."

_Whirl, whorl, whorl, whorllll."_

"And I am a grateful. Nevertheless, do not hack into computers that I have not scanned yet."

_Whorl, whorl._

"Thank you."

"Really, Anakin…"

Anakin turned. Obi-Wan was leaning against the doorjamb to the guest chambers and smiling. "Fathering your droid now?"

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Anakin closed the toolbox. "You mock me as though he were non-sentient. He knows more about what goes on around here than anyone. Don't you, buddy?"

_Beep!_

Obi-Wan walked over to the table to pour some caf. "I meant no offense to you, Artoo. Forgive me."

_Whirl!_

Obi-Wan collapsed into the nearest chair. Anakin poured his own cup then sat down to join him.

"I'm sorry if we woke you, Master."

Obi-Wan waved him off. "You didn't. I'm awake by habit." He sipped the caf and groaned, making a sour face. "I see you still haven't quite mastered a percolator and measurement."

Anakin grinned. "I like my caf strong. It gets the blood flowing."

"It's sludge, Anakin," he despaired even as he took a gulp of it.

"Yet you drink it anyway. Another habit?"

"Yes, and one I will happily forsake. You are up early yourself. Everything all right?"

"Leia woke up, and I had a hard time getting her back to sleep. Then _I_ couldn't get back to sleep. I guess I am a little anxious."

Obi-Wan glanced at him sharply from the rim of his cup. "Oh?"

Anakin missed his guilty look and said, "I feel…I don't know. I felt something last night."

"Bad?"

"No, no. It was…nice. I don't know. Whatever it is, it's made me anxious."

Obi-Wan relaxed. "Why are _you_ anxious? I am the one getting married…some time today. Should I COMM Temple?"

Anakin shook his head. "No. No, you're fine. Yoda will contact you. He'll let us know when all is ready."

"This waiting…"

"Yes?"

"I am not used to…"

"You _are_ nervous."

Obi-Wan laughed a little self-consciously. "Yes. I have dreamed about this day for a very long time and now it's here. I suppose I should be grateful I have not been struck down with nausea."

"You're doing just fine."

"Anakin…have you thought about what happens next?"

"For you and Siri? Yes. You'll be happy. She will be ecstatic. You will both be happy and ecstatic. Together."

"No, no. I meant…what's next for _us_? Kenobi and Skywalker, Skywalker and Kenobi. The Jedi Go-To team. We will be leading very different lives than we have until a few days ago. I have a wife. You have your family. The days of us gallivanting around the galaxy are over."

"Why, Master…you actually sound as though you are going to miss me shadowing you."

"Anakin, do not be flip. For the last thirteen years, you have been my only constant. As _tragic_ as that is," Obi-Wan whined with mock disgust. "I have to admit…I do not know how I will adjust to not…being around you all the time."

"You are going to miss bossing me around. You know you will never be able to pull that off with Siri."

Obi-Wan felt his lips curve in spite of himself. "I am going to miss the missions. The _purpose_. Do you understand what I mean? I am going to miss that sense of accomplishment I get when we have saved some hapless soul from certain demise, or that wonderful sense of fulfillment at knowing that our actions—yours and mine—have given the promise of good living to countless people."

"We will still do those things, Obi-Wan. There are always going to be missions. We will always be the 'It' team. You are getting married and starting a family. Not retiring."

"It won't be the same, Anakin. You know that. You know that better than anyone. What about the liberty of knowing you are only responsible for yourself…?"

"Obi-Wan, you have never felt selfishness before in your life…"

"What of that sublime rush of adrenaline? What of that sense of danger…?"

"You were forever scolding me about that."

"What of the adventures?"

"Adventures? Is that what you're calling them now? Your memory is not faulty. It's selective."

"Do you recall our mission on Kegan?"

"Yes, those are certainly times to lament losing," Anakin said sardonically, leaning back and resting his feet on the chair beside him. "Mediating land disputes…"

Obi-Wan lost his smile as the memories he thought were so much fun spun into the reality that those missions had been. "People shooting at us."

"Navigating mine fields outside of the Noid System…"

"With people shooting at us."

"Smuggling slaves to freedom."

"Well _that_ was gratifying," Obi-Wan beamed in memory. "Except, of course, for the people shooting at us."

Anakin chortled in reflection. "Remember that time you fell into that nest of gondarts?"

"When you perpetually remind me of it? Yes. Wild tentacles about me everywhere."

"And people shooting at us."

Anakin had made his point, and Obi-Wan volleyed with cheerful, if sarcastic, humor. "Good times."

They laughed for a bit before Anakin calmed enough to say, "I know what you're saying, Obi-Wan. There is a part of me that will miss the risk, too."

"We must remember Yoda's teachings, Anakin."

"Remembering them is easy," Anakin smirked. "It's keeping them in practice that has been lax."

Anakin impersonated the croaking tone of their master. "Adventure. _Humph_! Excitement. _Humph_! A Jedi craves not such things."

"I am a creature of habit."

"You'll make new ones." Anakin refilled his cup. "As for me, I am going to take my family on a much needed vacation."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I thought we would hang out here for a few days. You know. Let the babies get acclimated to their home…"

"Then promptly yank them from their newfound familiarity to go…_where_?"

"Luke and Leia have grandparents, Obi-Wan. I thought that, first, we would go to Naboo and spend time with Padmé's family. Then, after a few days, maybe we could…you know. Spend some time with mine."

There was pride in his voice when Obi-Wan declared, "You are taking them to Tatooine."

"Well, Owen and Buru _are_ my family…sort of."

"Anakin…"

"He has—Owen—been trying to get me to visit for a while now. I have been putting him off. I should not have done that."

"You have not exactly had a lot of time to visit the Outer Rim, Anakin. You have been fighting a war. Owen understands that."

"That has not been why I have avoided him, Master, and you know it. Owen and Buru are good people. They deserve to have their kindness returned, not rebuffed. He accepted me as a brother having never met me before…Now that Lars is gone, I am pretty much all he has got to claim as family. Even if we are only step-brothers."

"I think it is wonderful that you have put the past behind you."

"Look, I still think Tatooine is a horrible, desolate…_hole_ in the universe and the memories there…they are _really_ _bad_. But I cannot avoid the place forever. Luke and Leia are going to want to see where I grew up, and I cannot continue to forget that Tatooine, for better or for worse, is where I was raised."

"Anakin, that your reasons for going there to begin with are unselfish is proof enough that you are doing extraordinarily well with them. And I am not fooled. You take responsibility for them, and you are relishing it."

"I love those kids, I do," Anakin smiled. "So when you ask me if I will miss continually placing myself in danger simply because I can, I must tell you that, no. I will not miss the adventure. I have _them_."

He put his cup down on the table. "But…I will miss you smothering me as you do."

Too groggy to think of a scathing retort, Obi-Wan smiled, "Well. That is something, I suppose."

"Luke and Leia are about all the adventure I am going to be able to handle from now on, Master. They created their own Force-induced theatre over their bassinets at Temple yesterday morning. Did I tell you?"

Obi-Wan grinned as Anakin sighed huffily. "They are three-days old, Obi-Wan, and they are already using the Force."

"Will you keep them here with you and Padmé?"

"Yes."

"That's probably wise…"

"I have explained to Yoda my reasons, Obi-Wan. He still…"

"I believe it wise, Anakin, because a few hours in the company of Force-wielding infants could very well cause Master Dralig to resign his post."

Anakin did not share his humor. He told him simply, "Tell me what you think, Master. I explained to Yoda that Padmé and I would raise them. Their formal Jedi education will not begin until they turn three. Do you think that is the right decision?"

"I cannot answer that, Anakin. I have no experience in such matters."

"Neither do I, Obi-Wan, but you were raised at Temple from birth. You fared…reasonably well. I want to know what you think."

"I think you want to do what you believe is best for your children, and you went with your first instincts. Those should not be dismissed. Do not allow your feelings for Master Yoda to sway you. If your gut proclaimed that Luke and Leia should remain with you, then it should be so."

Anakin toyed with his cup. "Do you think I would have turned out any different had Tahl…?"

"Yes."

Obi-Wan paused long enough to gain Anakin's visual attention. "I do not believe we would be sitting here now. I do not believe you would be married to Padmé. Your children would not exist. Anakin, I mean Tahl no disrespect for I thought her a lovely person. But she was not in a good place with herself when you were born. Her fear, her desperation…Her sadness. You would have felt those things, and you would have borne the brunt of its damages."

It was easy for Anakin to agree. His compassion for Tahl returned with his recognition that he really would not change what had happened. Even if he could. He would not trade his happiness now. Not even for the woman who had loved in spite of herself.

Anakin took a breath. "You're right."

"I may not be, but we will never know."

"One day I am going to be able to thank Tahl for what she did. I would really like that."

"You can communicate with Qui-Gon. Perhaps you will be able to speak with her as you do with him."

"I have not heard or seen Qui-Gon since the night I killed Sidious. I thought I heard him in the bunker, but I am not sure."

"Have you tried meditating?"

"That's what I was doing when you found me in your shower."

"Nothing?"

"Not even a whimper."

"I'm sorry, Anakin."

"No, no, no. Don't be sorry for anything. I am good. Everything is great. Today is your wedding day, man. I have had enough drama, and I have to get you ready."

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Obi-Wan stood as Anakin did. He bounced back on his heels, chipper and with a surge of wakeful energy. "All right. What do we do?"

Anakin shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You have done this before."

Anakin's expression was questioning, silently begging what point Obi-Wan was trying to make. "You want to hear what my preparation entailed? It was land the ship, shower, shave, press my formal attire and say 'I do' whenever I was asked a question."

"That's helpful. I think I should COMM Temple."

"Listen. Would you feel better with the waiting if I brought Siri here?"

"The only reason she is not here now is because you pontificated last night the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding. I _knew_ it! You made that up!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. You'll wake Padmé, and I _did not_ make that up. It is a tradition. I heard."

"I should go to Temple anyway. I have to clean my room and pack my meager belongings."

"We can do that when we get word from Master Yoda. Besides, you have got me all sentimental now. You want a last hurrah for Kenobi and Skywalker?"

Interested, Obi-Wan smiled. "What do you suggest?"

"Let's strike it up for old times' sake." Anakin made dexterous motions with his fingers.

Obi-Wan's smile broadened. "Where?"

"Up on the roof."

"I'll get my lightsaber."

"I'll meet you there."

They broke in opposite directions.

♥

_"This is Twila Vansh'tek reporting live from the front gates of Jedi Temple. As HoloNet was first to report, another Sith lord was killed by Commander Anakin Skywalker. Non-descript vessels have been shuttling into the alleys and garages of Temple at all hours of last night for what one can only assume is transport for the villainous deceased, including that of Asajj Ventress, captured and taken to Galactic City prison. Ventress was killed in a botched prison escape yesterday while under the guard of General Obi-Wan Kenobi. _

_When Chancellor Organa was called for comment last night, there was an unequivocal 'no comment'. The depth of the Senate's knowledge to all that has happened between the Jedi and the Sith yesterday is unknown. Commander Skywalker and his wife, Senator Padmé Amidala, flew home with their newborn infants late yesterday afternoon under heavy guard and accompanied by General Kenobi and former Jedi Master, Siri Tachi. _

_There has been no response from the Jedi to questions about the events of the last two days and given the amount of traffic we are seeing here this morning, the Republic would like to know what exactly is it the Jedi are trying so desperately to conceal that it requires an unusual amount of secrecy and the utter ignorance of the Senate._

_HoloNet would like to assure all of our loyal viewers that we will not leave until the Jedi give us the answers we require. _

_Reporting live from Jedi Temple Coruscant, I am Twila Vansh'tek."_

Han muted the screen and called out, "HoloNet is still camped in front of Temple."

Siri had heard the news. She walked downstairs, her expression subdued. "They will not get past the gates."

"They're not trying to get past the gates, Blondie," Han told her shrewdly. "They will wait, as they have for days, until someone talks. Your friends have been lucky so far."

She secured her robe tighter and sat beside him on the sofa. "Did they attack you?"

"Only that first night." Han smiled at the memory. "Then the gate master called for Master Windu and they hightailed it away from me. I'm tellin' ya…that man knows how to scare the hell…_heck_ out of people."

Siri laughed, "Well, he is imposing."

Han let out a breath. "So…"

"So?"

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Wait for Master Yoda to call, I guess."

Han rocked back and forth with impatience. "Is there something you need? Something I can do before you shackle yourself to the Jedi and Kenobi for all eternity?"

"You're doing it. I just want to hang out with you for a while." She patted his leg. "I thought you would be here when I came home last night."

"I thought you would be with Obi-Wan."

Siri turned her gaze but a smile touched her lips before she cleared her throat. "I tried to COMM you."

"I turned it off."

"I haven't had the chance to thank you for everything you have done for me and Obi-Wan. Han, you are…"

"Aw…you're not going to get all mushy on me now, are you?"

"I'm afraid so, kid."

"Aw, Siri! Ever since you managed to captivate the Jedi Council into trapping you with Kenobi, you have become disturbingly…_girly_."

"You're going to have to accept it, kid. I am changing. I am maturing, and unfortunately for you, you will be doing the same right along with me."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, my dear sweet boy, you are no longer the dirty street urchin I bullied into compliance under my wing three years ago. You are becoming a man. And you are a man I am exceedingly proud of…"

"Okay. Is this about the case?"

"What?"

"Yeah…I know you, Blondie. I know how you operate. Is this sappy moment of gooey sentiment supposed to make me rethink accepting the job in Kessel?"

"No, it is not."

"Siri…"

"All right! _Fine_. I will admit that I have a motive for bringing it up now, but I mean every word I say when I tell you that you are smart. You are talented. You are infinitely gifted with great instincts and sharp wit and cunning, and absolutely no woman in the galaxy could be more proud of your accomplishments than I am of you."

"Siri, thank you. Now, your motive?"

"Kessel is violent."

"I can handle Kessel. I can handle anything that comes at me. You have taught me well, Siri."

"Han, the Hutts are not a forgiving sort. And your client is the worst of them. Jabba is totally devoid of feeling. Greed is all that courses through his clogging veins. He likes lording over people. He enjoys the misery of others. Do not cross him."

"Siri, it is a two-day assignment. I am not going in blind. I know what I am getting into and I know what I am doing. We've been over this. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Han. It is him I do not trust. I know I cannot stop you from doing this, but you and I have always been honest with each other. I know you said you would give me your itinerary and you would keep in contact with me. But I also want your word, that—no matter what he says—you will not accept another one of his 'job' offers. You complete this task, and you return to Coruscant."

"Is that an order?"

"It's a request…a request delivered with the promise that if you are not back here in four days, I will come after you."

"I think Kenobi may object to an interrupted honeymoon, Blondie."

"You don't know him yet, kid. You saved his neck. He knows it, and he feels indebted to you. Gladly so, but you are important to me. That makes you important to him. I said four days. Were such a decision to be left to Obi-Wan, we would be tracking you in three, not four."

"I see your mothering me is not something changing for you."

"No such luck for you. You don't like it, you should have tried picking someone else's pocket that night in the bar."

"I don't regret that. I'll do as you say. Four days, Siri. I promise."

"Thank you. Now. Where were you last night?"

"I had some things to tie up before I leave tomorrow. I gotta make sure you have a business to get back to. It doesn't run itself, you know."

Siri sprang to her feet. "About that…"

Han watched her walk over to her desk in the corner, open it, and pull out a large envelope.

Her hair was loose and down her back but fell like honeyed waves over her shoulders. She turned around to return to the sofa, and Han saw the way her eyes sparkled like emeralds and the way her mouth curved in that secret smile of hers that never failed to enchant his young heart.

Siri Tachi, his friend and mentor, the only real family he had ever known in his short life, was leaving him. He knew he had no hold on her. He knew she would always be a part of his life, but the means would be different. As happy as he was for her and for his new friend Obi-Wan, there was a part of him that would be sad at the knowledge—solidified and concrete—that his boyhood dream of becoming a man she could fall in love with was utterly demolished. His crush on her…crushed.

He would continue to be known as her boy, her 'dear sweet friend' that was more her little brother. It was not what his adolescent ego wanted, but he would take it. And he would keep the memories of these three years with her very close to his heart forever.

Maybe she was right when she had told him that one day he would understand what real romantic love was like, but this morning he would allow himself his fantasy for a few more hours until Kenobi would call her his.

She dropped the envelope into his lap and plopped back down on the sofa, facing him.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

"All right."

Han used his thumb to open the tab and reached inside to pull out a stack of papers. He scanned the front page of the thick manuscript and looked at her curiously. "I don't understand."

"I didn't either at first, and I _know_ what it is. It's the legal jargon throwing you. It's the ownership and operating license to the agency as well as the deed to the office, the ship and the banking accounts."

Frowning, Han read the first page. When he reached the end of it, his eyes widened. "This says the ownership belongs to…Han Solo of Corellia."

Siri wet her lips and said, "Actually, it reads that ownership shall belong solely to Han Solo of Corellia upon the turn of his eighteenth standard year."

Speechless, Han stared at her. She cleared her throat and continued, "You have some years yet to get used to it. My name is on the dotted line for now, in trust until your eighteenth birthday."

"You're giving me the business?"

"I cannot maintain it as well as you have, and now I will not be able to oversee everything since I will be working primarily in Temple. As you said, someone has to keep it going. It should be you. You do most of the work anyway."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. Look at you! Han, you're not getting mushy on me, are you?"

Han sat straighter, looking horrified. "No! I'm just…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll accept it, dummy."

"I…Are you sure you want to do this? What if…?"

"No. No, 'what if'. I am getting exactly what I want and giving you exactly what you deserve. Consider it my investment in your future."

Han saw a smaller envelope protruding from the larger. He tipped the package down and it spilled into his hand. His easy-going grin showed as he glanced back at her, "There's more?"

Soberly, she sat back. "Yes."

"Ew…you look so serious now. This must be prominent."

"I hope you think so."

"Let's find out."

Han tore the paper open. His fingers closed on the corners of a check, and he read the words aloud.

"Pay to the Order of Han Solo…One-Hundred thousand Republic…"

Stunned furious, he whirled on her. "You're giving me money?"

Siri had expected this reaction so her calm was effortless. "Han…"

He jumped to his feet. "Listen, Blondie. I don't need your charity. I can take care of myself!"

"It is not charity."

"I don't want your money!"

"It's not my money, Han. It's yours."

"What?"

"That is not my money." She sighed. "Do you remember the last case we took before Grievous invaded Coruscant and kidnapped Palpatine?"

How could he forget? It was the first and, thankfully, the only time he had ever encountered Count Dooku. He looked at her, breathing hard with temper. "That real estate contract on Alderaan. You discovered that Count Dooku was the anonymous buyer. Lady Duraine…"

"There is no Lady Duraine, Han. That property belonged…that property belonged to…it's irrelevant. Anyway, we shorted the contract to sever the deal. Dooku would have been thwarted anyway, since he was called back to Coruscant by Sidious, but nonetheless. The commission on that was…larger than I had negotiated or anticipated. Since you did the paperwork and most of the footwork after I was…sidetracked by fear for Anakin's safety, your side of the commission is, well, one-hundred thousand Republic credits."

His mind raced along with his heart. The things he could with that much money!

"You're serious about this."

Siri stood to face him. "It is yours. You earned it, and you may do with it whatever you wish."

She pulled him to her and hugged his waist. He was so tall, taller than even Anakin now. Her head rested at the center of his chest.

Overcome with fondness for this boy, she squeezed him and cried, "I don't want you to have to worry about me, or money, or anything else ever again. And I don't want to worry about what will become of you on your own. I've grown very attached to you, brat. Indulge me, will you?"

Han, never used to displays of affection, found his arms winding around her. He didn't like emotions like this, but he _would_ indulge her. She was the only one that could move him to such…junk.

"Thank you, Siri."

"You're welcome." She pulled back and beamed at him. "There is one more thing."

Han groaned. "Really? Siri, I don't think I can take any more…"

She waved him off. "Padmé told me last night that the bride's father usually gives the bride to the groom at the altar for a wedding. It's a tradition. She could not have her father at hers because of…you know."

"Sure. She and Commander Skywalker married in secret. So?"

"Well, I am not close to my father. My parents never called on Temple for reports on my progress, and since you're the closest thing I have to family…"

Han frowned, oblivious. "You want me to give you away? What does that involve exactly? Is it like a gift? Am I supposed to put a bow on the top of your head or something?"

"No, silly," she chided playfully but thought, _At least I don't think so_. _I hope not._

She shook her head. "Look, Padmé will explain it to you at Temple. We'll just follow her instruction."

"Yeah. Follow her instruction. Because we do that kind of thing so well."

"Will you do it? Will you give me away?"

_No!_ He wanted to shout. Instead, he answered, "You know I will."

"Thank you."

He rolled his eyes when she hugged him once more, but his attention was drawn to something on the holoscreen. His gaze narrowed.

"Siri."

"Hmm?"

"Look." He turned her around and reached on the table for the remote.

Siri watched HoloNet and saw…

"That's 500 Republica," she breathed soberly. "Han, turn on the volume."

A masculine voice gave the account of the visual. _"It appears there was a skirmish between two men believed to be Jedi on the rooftop of 500 Republica. I allege that they are Jedi as the glare of lightsabers were said to be seen locked in conflict by several eyewitnesses from neighboring buildings. As you know, 500 Republica is the housing complex to several Galactic Senators of the Republic as well as the home of Chancellor Organa, who resides in the penthouse just below the roof. _

_Again, it is only speculation at this point that there was a battle. It is difficult to prove. 500 Republica rests in a no-fly zone and is heavily secured. Very few people have access to the roof for obvious reasons, so if there were two men fighting…with lightsabers…They would have had to have authentic means of entry. _

_It is worthy to note, however, that Commander Anakin Skywalker does live in the building now that it is public knowledge he is Senator Amidala's husband. If it_ was _Commander Skywalker, and there was a battle of lightsabers, it could very well mean that our woes of the Sith have not quite ended yet…"_

Han looked at her with concern. "Do you sense anything wrong?"

Siri glared at the screen. She did not look pleased, but she also did not look worried.

"Yes," she told him. "I sense something wrong. My juvenile friend and my idiot fiancé have been caught playing out of school."

The reporter was not finished. _"There have been several complaints of loud booms and crashing noises from the roof. As a precaution, HoloNet has been told that Chancellor Organa has been evacuated as Senate security teams lock-down the building."_

Siri moaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Han knew it as a tell of her irritation.

"What's going on?" Han asked.

She glanced once more at HoloNet as they closed the satellite location and returned to the vapid twit they had covering Temple.

She shut off the holoscreen.

"Oh, nothing," she finally answered, derisively. "Anakin and Obi-Wan have drawn more attention to the Jedi at a time when we really don't need it."

"You worried HoloNet is going to storm Temple?"

"I'm not worried that they will storm Temple. Han, sweetheart, they have locked down 500 Republica."

Understanding dawned and Han's expression was sympathetic. "Oh."

"Yes. Oh."

She picked up her COMM link from the table. "They have locked-down the building so that no one can come in. And –more importantly-- no one can _get out_."

Han tried to calm her. "Siri, I'm sure it won't last long. The security teams will hear what Anakin and Obi-Wan have to say and…"

"Leak it to HoloNet, who will pay through the nose to hear that they're precious _heroes_, Skywalker and Kenobi, were venting their anxieties by beating the tar out of one another for sheer amusement…_on my wedding day_."

Siri stalked across the carpet and began stomping up the stairs.

"Uh, Siri?"

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't we go try to help them?"

"Ha!" she scoffed and turned on the landing to look at him. "They're clever. They'll figure it out. They had _better_. And if they cannot, Padmé will make them aware."

"So we should just keep waiting here?"

She stopped at the door to her bedroom. "I have a list to check. Padmé advised me of the many things I have to do this morning."

"Like what?"

"Well, after I shower—naturally—I am to…" She pulled a folded slip of paper from the pocket of her robe and read, "Wash my hair but leave it unbraided and air-dried, don a shirt that buttons down the front and not one to pull over my head, eat a light breakfast and…"

She scowled and read the last, "Go out for a manicure and pedicure."

Flummoxed, Han said, "A 'who' and a 'what'?"

Siri sighed and groaned, "She wants me to have my nails done."

"Done to what?"

"Painted, kid. Painted."

"You don't do that."

"Yeah, well…" she began, defeated by her own vanity for the moment. "I do today. Listen, I don't get this stuff any more than you do, but she knows what she is talking about and if you would have had to listen to her like I did last night, you would understand. I'm only going to marry…" Her teeth grit. "_Kenobi_ once. This is my best shot at doing something grotesquely feminine and she was so excited, Han…I couldn't say no."

"I could go over there you know," Han offered. "See what I can do."

Siri thought about that. He could remain here, bored out of his skull while she got dressed and prepared for primping, or he could leave like he clearly wanted to and fetch her groom.

"Go," she nodded. "I will COMM you when I hear from Temple."

"All right. I'll let you know if there is any problem."

Siri leaned on the rail. "Han?"

He stopped at the door. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

He winked and gave her the response he always had at the declaration. "I know."

♥

"No," Yoda called to a padawan on a ladder. "Move it more to the left, please."

He studied the picture in the book and frowned.

"Knight Corcoran?"

Liam pushed the garden torch deeper into the earth along the marble walk. "Yes, Master?"

"Come you here and look at this."

Liam rubbed his hands along his pants legs and trotted to Yoda's side. Yoda's craggy finger pointed to the page. "Look you at this then at the arbor. Something missing there is. What think you, hmm?"

Liam looked at the photo then to the makeshift, floral elevation before the large fountain.

The Jedi currently in Temple had worked half the night and all morning to decorate the enormous hall for the premiere Jedi wedding ceremony. Having never experienced anything remotely like it, Master Yoda had called for the lead librarian of the Archives to supply a book on the matter. Firm with the belief he held all the knowledge required on the subject, he had become a true task-master…of flowers, candles, floor runners, bunting and all things nuptial celebration-oriented.

As he had pursued everything else in his life and that of the Jedi, Yoda was vibrant with energy to see his gift designed to perfection.

Liam took a deep breath and observed, "There are not enough flowers."

Yoda's lips pursed as he stared ahead. "Yes."

Liam looked at him and said, "Master, we are still expecting one more shipment of orchids. Perhaps we could move the calla lilies to the altar and keep the orchids in the marble pots…"

_Are these words really coming out of my mouth?_ Liam thought to himself.

"No," Yoda said and stepped over the curved bower. "Orchids. It must be orchids."

"Yes, Master," Liam sighed.

The sound of running footsteps made Liam turn. Knight Gurgeas stopped and bowed toward Yoda. "I have news, Master."

Unperturbed, Yoda kept his gaze around the arbor and altar. "Where your charge is, Jacen?"

Gurgeas turned to Corcoran.

"He has been this way all morning," Liam mouthed silently.

Gurgeas cleared his throat. "Master, I have the orchids." He looked pained. "They are being unloaded now."

"Good." Yoda walked over to direct the padawan on the ladder. "Uneven that is, Finley. Correct it, please."

The pretty redhead nodded. "Yes, Master."

Yoda set his gimmer stick aside a marble pot and began adjusting stems of calla lilies. "Your news, Knight Gurgeas?"

Jacen stepped closer and announced, "Masters Kenobi and Skywalker are being detained at 500 Republica."

Liam's brow knit and his eyes grew alert. "What has happened?"

Jacen's lips quirked. "Master Windu said that Masters Anakin and Obi-Wan were…exercising on the roof and got a little… overzealous. Senate security was called by some residents, and they found the Masters and brought them inside. But only after the building was locked down and Chancellor Organa was tucked away to safety."

"Where?" Yoda asked, his fingers gently stroking a delicate petal.

"Not far from home." Gurgeas grinned then. "He and Queen Breha have taken shelter with the senator from Naboo."

Liam frowned. "Senate security's idea of protecting the chancellor is placing him _with_ the Masters?"

"Yep."

"In no danger the chancellor is," Yoda called. He stepped over to the next pot. "Know that, his staff does."

"Then why is the building still under lock-down?"

Gurgeas bowed respectfully to Yoda's back. "May I try answering that, Master Yoda?"

Yoda grunted his consent as he rearranged another bloom.

"It's a stall tactic," Gurgeas declared.

Liam appeared to accept that. He crossed his arms over his chest and pensively said, "A stall tactic. To what purpose?"

Gurgeas looked at Yoda. "Master?"

Yoda leaned on his gimmer stick, returning to his manual. He grunted again and waved his permission, flipping pages.

Gurgeas continued. "Naturally, Anakin and Obi-Wan wished to start their morning with saber training."

"Naturally," Liam acquiesced.

"Their choice of location was ill-advised…"

"Certainly."

"And, of course, their time would have been better spent meditating the events of the day."

"Of course."

"But once they had realized the disturbance they'd caused, they nobly finished their exertions to return home. But the alarms had already been sounded, disaster plans had been put into execution and HoloNet had arrived fast on the scene."

"Ah, yes," Liam nodded. "So to keep the press out, the chancellor ordered all doors and exits barred and secured."

"You're quick. So a stall tactic has been applied by our esteemed chancellor to afford the necessary time to think of how…"

"To safely and quietly abscond with Master Kenobi and the Skywalkers here without anyone inside or outside being the wiser."

"Yes," Gurgeas replied, wistfully stroking his goatee. "It's a problem."

He exchanged a hard, conspiring look with Knight Corcoran. "With HoloNet surrounding both Temple and 500, well…Who knows when Master Kenobi will be free…"

Liam, pleased with the what his friend silently plotted, supplied, "Yes. It may be hours." He turned toward Yoda. "_Several_ hours, Master. And your efforts will go underappreciated."

"That's right, Master," Gurgeas told him. "Anakin and Obi-Wan may require aid. I think Liam and I should go…"

Yoda did not turn to face them, seemingly enthralled by something he was reading in the book. But it did not stop him from declaring, "Here, you will remain. Your aid, _I_ need."

Liam sighed in easy resignation, but Gurgeas was not so ready to concede defeat. "But, Master…"

Yoda sighed and replied, "Of no matter, their detainment is. For their mischief, they will pay in lecture by Senator Skywalker, I am certain. Time, this gives us to make this room…"

"Ripe for farming?" Gurgeas petulantly completed.

"_Jacen_!" Liam hissed in warning.

Yoda slowly turned his head to finally look at Gurgeas. His composure was reserved and his tone quiet. "Feel what you do here is unimportant?"

Gurgeas sighed. "Of course not, but—_with respect_, Master—we are Jedi, not event planners."

He glanced around at the numerous plants and copious stations of pale, unlit candles in the room. Flowers of all varieties seemed to have exploded throughout the once serene and water-misting space in the short amount of time Yoda had overseen it done.

"Marks a significant transition this occasion will for the Jedi, Knight Gurgeas," Yoda said kindly. "Includes you, that does. Not so impatient and smug will you be, if decide to join your life with someone else some day you do."

Though he understood the reasoning, Gurgeas did not agree. "I have already joined my life, Master, to the codes of the Jedi Order."

"The codes are being rewritten, Jacen," Liam came back. "Master Yoda only wishes to see it done properly. These modifications to the codes are being made for not only Masters Kenobi and Tachi but for us as well."

"No offense, Knight Corcoran, but I have spent the last four hours flying rabidly through outer space for twenty dozen orchids. Do these changes include the Jedi mastering horticulture?"

This time, Yoda's gaze narrowed at the sarcasm. "Too much speech with Anakin you have had. Think like him, you do."

Gurgeas smiled again. "Thank you, Master. I'll take that as a compliment."

"His insouciance, you need not. Humph." Yoda turned back to his book. "Married first, he did. If like him you wish to be, keep that in mind, you should."

Liam grinned at that and the wild look that entered Gurgeas' eyes. He could swear his friend blushed.

Gurgeas gave up. "You're right, Master. What would you have me do?"

"The orchids bring inside. Twine them into the arbor you and Knight Corcoran shall."

Yoda indicated the page in the book with his gimmer stick. "Just like this, I wish it to look. Help him bring them in you will, Liam."

"Of course, Master."

They bowed and walked briskly from the room.

Liam looked at his friend's sullen profile. "Are you truly angry, Jacen?"

"No." The response was on a weary sigh. "I simply do not understand why we must suffer such extravagance."

"It is just for today. Tomorrow, Temple will return to normal."

"No, it will not."

"You are right. It will be better. I look forward to the changes, Jacen. I think these new enlightenments will serve to make us stronger."

"You have no way of knowing that with any certainty, Liam."

"And you have no way of knowing that your fears will come to end result."

"That is a textbook response."

"I am a Jedi. I know better than to concentrate on fear. So should you."

They walked out onto the landing platform and over to a stack of boxed orchids.

They each heaved a box onto their shoulders and began the trek back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Gurgeas asked, "They are happy? Master Kenobi and Anakin?"

"It is my observation that they are very happy, yes."

"You think you will ever marry, Liam?"

His answer was quick. "I hope so."

"You do?"

"I can think of worse predicaments, my friend. I think I understand the kind of attachment it is. The feelings I perceive when Master Skywalker addresses the senator and the look that Master Kenobi gets when Mis…_Master_ Tachi enters the room are…nice. Solid. Peaceful. I must say, I find myself almost impatient for the possibilities before me now."

Gurgeas' smile was kind instead of filled with disdain. "You have a soft heart, Liam."

"And yours is as stubborn as your head."

They gently placed the boxes on the floor of the altar once they returned to ground-zero. Gurgeas released a breath gustily as he measured the work ahead of him.

"Twine the orchids?"

"Like the picture it must be!" Yoda commanded from his perch several feet away.

Liam bent to remove the lids, and Gurgeas called back with a groan, "Yes, Master."

Liam grinned up at him. "Twine the orchids."

♥

Bail Organa, Supreme Chancellor of the Grand Republic, Prince Consort of Aldaraan and veteran of World Affairs stared at the two Jedi, listening intently to their tale with a mixture of shock and sympathy.

This last set of weeks had supplied him with more drama, intrigue, and all the filthy amount of violence than he could stomach. And that was after three years of the galaxy embroiled in devastating war.

It was natural that the Jedi had methods of which to alleviate stress. It was automatic that they would perform their rituals of training as a means to calm and center themselves. Looking at the pair sitting so solemnly on the sofa, he no longer had to wonder how they got through the things they had seen and done.

The Republic was permanently indebted to the Jedi. After all Anakin and Obi-Wan had been through, he would not question anything they did to soothe themselves. But he had believed until this moment there could be no more news that could surprise him, yet they had managed to do so.

His handsome face showed his happiness and he said, "Master Kenobi…That is wonderful news. Congratulations."

Obi-Wan moved the bacta poultice away from his mouth to reply, "Thank you, Chancellor."

Moteé saw his grimace as he replaced the pack to his face and said for the tenth time in as many minutes, "I am so sorry, General Kenobi."

There was comedy in this situation, but Obi-Wan refrained from dwelling on it. Not while his hostess continued to glare at him as she nursed her husband's rapidly swelling eye.

"I am fine, Motee. Do not fret so. You were doing what you had been trained to do."

Anakin sought to assure Padmé's handmaiden as well. "You thought the building was under attack, and you were protecting your mistress. You did the right thing. I thank you."

Padmé tenderly rubbed the cube of ice along his left eye though the tone of her voice indicated the true extent of her displeasure. "Your mistake was not striking him _before_ they left for the roof, Moteé."

It had begun so innocently to Obi-Wan's mind. He and his friend had simply wanted to fill the time before they were called to Temple doing something they knew so well—sparring. It had been a good match, too. Anakin had learned a lot in his travels, and Obi-Wan found himself no longer giving way for him. He could not afford to give Anakin any advantage if he had wanted to keep his head on his neck. The man had obviously been studying saber techniques behind his master's back.

The lightsaber duel had been the most obvious metaphor for unswerving paths in their respective lives. They knew each other's every move, could counter the other's actions before the marks were made. The fluidity of their movements, the synchronization of their routine had comforted Obi-Wan and showed him that, though many things were changing for him and for Anakin, their camaraderie would not. Their bond was unbreakable.

They had been laughing, sweating profusely from their exertion and truly enjoying themselves when they heard the distant sounds of the alarms. They had reacted on instinct, Force-racing across the pavement, through the door and down the stairs. They had run so fast, they flew past the chancellor's security teams in their rush to get back to the apartment.

Anakin had waved the door opened and as Obi-Wan crossed the threshold, he was promptly struck in the face with something viciously hard. The hit had propelled him back, his feet swept off the floor and his elbow connecting with the bone above Anakin's eye. They had collapsed upon the floor in the hall. The guards had stared down at them with surprise, and Padmé's handmaiden dropped the Nubian sculpture on the floor with a horrified gasp.

Returning to the present, Obi-Wan pressed the poultice tighter to his lips and marveled that she had not managed to break his jaw or knock out his teeth.

He doubted Siri would appreciate that. She would not be amused by this at all. He would be swamped in explanation when he saw her later.

Perhaps the roof was not the best idea he and Anakin had ever had.

Obi-Wan glanced up at Padmé. She appeared as serene as ever, but he knew she was furious with him. How were they supposed to know the army would be called over such a non-incident as two Jedi training?

He noticed the chancellor watching him. "I am sorry for this inconvenience, Chancellor Organa."

"Nonsense, Obi-Wan." Bail took a seat in the chair across them. "It gives me and my wife a chance to escape the tedium of paperwork upstairs. Tell me, when is the wedding?"

Padmé finished her tending and glared at Obi-Wan as she answered, "Today."

"Today?" Bail sat up straight. "I did not think it would be so soon."

"You would not think it soon if you knew how long he has wanted this, Bail," Anakin smiled.

"Master Kenobi, my wife and I consider both you and Mistress Tachi…"

"Master Tachi."

Bail looked at Padmé. "_Master_ Tachi?"

Padmé grinned at the look of stunned pleasure on his face. "The Order reinstated her."

"Well," Bail breathed. "It appears it has been eventful two days for you, Obi-Wan."

"Yes, sir. You were saying that you consider she and I…?"

"We consider you and Siri friends of ours. If it is not an imposition, I feel free to speak for the queen when I say that we would like to attend the service."

"I am sure, Chancellor, that Master Yoda has you on whatever guest list he has compiled. For Siri and I, you and Queen Breha are most welcome to attend."

"Thank you. Master Yoda?"

Padmé sat on the arm of the couch next to Anakin. "Master Yoda is overseeing the preparations at Temple. He plans an evening wedding."

Anakin and Obi-Wan faced her. "He is?"

Padmé replied, "Yes. A candlelight wedding."

Anakin was aghast. Not by the details, but by her knowledge of them. "You know what he is doing?"

"I received a flimsiplast from him shortly before we left Temple yesterday."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Obi-Wan's stupefaction forced him to utter, "A flimsiplast?"

She sighed, "He wants it to be surprise, so you will get no more from me than it is an evening wedding."

"His 'details' are so significant they fill a flimsiplast?" Obi-Wan asked, wide-eyed. "Padmé…Love, how grand of an affair is this going to be?"

"Not grand at all," she said, her chin defiantly in the air.

Anakin knew that look. She may not be lying but she was shortening the truth. "By whose standards, Padmé? The Jedi or _yours_?"

Bail, confused, looked from one to another. "You mean you do not know what is going on with your own wedding, Master Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan leaned back against the sofa with a groan. "Siri left the planning up to Master Yoda in a moment of weakness. I did not disagree. I should have known better."

Bail actually chuckled. "You make it sound terrible, Obi-Wan. Yoda would not do anything to make you uncomfortable, and he is the last person to utilize pretension or lavishness in any thing."

Obi-Wan would not explain the reason for his concern. It would take too long. "You are right, Chancellor. I am certain that Siri and I will have a lovely, plain and _small_ ceremony."

"So Siri is as in the dark as you?"

"Is she, Padmé?"

Padmé remembered Siri's total ignorance to bridal rituals as she had explained them to her the night before and the constant puzzlement she had displayed with each item.

She could imagine the horror Siri would have displayed if she knew everything Yoda plotted.

Padmé shook her head. "No. No, she does not."

She was reminded that there was a very special garment she was bringing to her friend and her agitation with Anakin and Obi-Wan was renewed.

She looked at Bail. "Chancellor, how long will be remanded here?"

Bail let out a breath. "This is where there is a impasse."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked with puckered brow.

Bail held out his hands. "I would have reported 500's troops to stand down and at ease sooner but…HoloNet is waiting below on the streets."

"Perfect," Anakin groaned.

"The alarms were sounded, gentlemen, because someone, somewhere reported your antics on the roof. You are a celebrity, Anakin, and HoloNet won't turn loose of you any more than a hungry dog would a meaty bone."

Obi-Wan glared at his friend beside him. "That's a vivid analogy."

"We can't sit here all day."

"No need to state the obvious, Anakin."

"We have to get you to Temple, Obi-Wan."

"They are loitering outside Temple as well," Bail told them. "Therefore, the impasse. You cannot leave here without HoloNet following you. You cannot go to Temple without being recognized and your entrance hindered. Either way, you alert the press to something important and news-worthy happening with the Jedi. We have to think of a plan to get you there quietly without being noticed."

Obi-Wan was not listening. He was giving his brain a work-out trying to come up with his own plan.

"Perhaps we can sneak out," he heard Anakin start. "What of your private exits, Bail?"

"That is an option, but you still risk being seen."

Padmé added, "And we will be too large a group to be missed."

"Obi-Wan and I could leave separately and meet you at Temple."

Bail shook his head. "Then they will swarm her and the children as they leave here. She has a security contingency but since you are both so well-favored, Typho may not be able to hold them off and our guards do not compare to what you could do in such a situation."

Padmé glared at her husband. "See what you have done?"

Anakin sighed and turned toward Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, Master. This is my fault. I should not have suggested we go up on the roof."

"Stop it, Anakin," Obi-Wan reproved mildly, rubbing the unhurt side of his chin. "Suggesting it did not make me follow you up there, did it? Be at peace, young one. We will figure this out."

Anakin could feel the weighty swell of his left eye as he looked at the red puffiness of the left side of his master's mouth. "Wow. Siri is going to kill us."

Staring at the ceiling, Obi-Wan whispered, "We could teleport to Temple."

Padmé asked, "Teleport?"

Bail stared at him with incredulous fascination. "You can do that?"

"No." Anakin said shortly but turned to Obi-Wan and murmured with interest, "Can you?"

Obi-Wan glanced his way, "You are the not the only one with an unpublished arsenal of skills, Anakin."

Anakin glared at him sullenly. "I have never tried it."

Ceaselessly fascinated by everything the Jedi knew how to do by mere concentration, Bail asked, "How is it done? Do you do this often? What is it like?"

"Few Jedi know how to accomplish it, Chancellor. It is an expert weapon that, to my understanding, only certain Masters who are exceptionally strong with the Force can use. My working knowledge of it has only come recently."

Padmé's voice took on one of caution as she called his name, "Obi-Wan…"

Anakin glimpsed from the look on her face back to Obi-Wan, who settled his head back and closed his eyes, an awkward smile making the good corner of his lips curve.

"What?" Anakin addressed them, his suspicious nature raised.

Padmé tried to change the subject. "If you were to teleport to Temple, we would still require a means to get me, the children, Bail and her Highness there."

Anakin did not hear her. He continued to stare at Obi-Wan. He could sense something being hidden from him, and he did not like it. Padmé was trying to protect his master, and he wanted to know why.

He was aware of no more than three Jedi Masters who knew how to meditate themselves to other locations—Yoda, Mace, and the late Kit Fisto. It was certainly a useful tool. Was it possible that Obi-Wan had reached that level of tranquility that he could mystically remove himself from one environment to another and if so, when?

Then another thought occurred to him. Anakin knew Obi-Wan had not been pleased with the notion of staying the night with he and Padmé. He had wanted to remain with Siri. The pair had spoken briefly in private before her exit last night. The result of that seemingly above misgivings and then readily agreeable. Obi-Wan's protestations finished and his good cheer returned.

With the disclosure of teleporting now, Anakin was not so sure his master had not devised a scheme to break his word that he would remain with him and spend the night exactly where he had wanted, returning before the sun had come up and before Anakin could miss him.

But surely Anakin would have sensed such a thing. He had been awake with his little girl. He would have known if Obi-Wan's essence was gone but on the contrary, Obi-Wan's presence had been strong within the walls of the apartment last night. Very strong.

Anakin wanted his wariness to fade. "Teleporting, Obi-Wan…"

"Yes?"

"When was the last time you did it?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"You promised me you would not seek Siri last night. You have never broken your word, Obi-Wan. Now is not the time to start."

No, Obi-Wan would never break his word. Least of all to Anakin. But as he remembered Siri suddenly appearing in his guest suite in the middle of the night and the way she had come to him, the way she had climbed over him—her gorgeous body riding him to bliss—he could not be sorry for his dishonesty. But to Anakin's question, he could answer with the truth.

"Anakin, on my life, I did not leave your guest room. I swear it."

Mollification was incomplete. Anakin faced his face, his expression stern, "Padmé?"

She looked at him brightly. "Yes, darling?"

"Did he leave here?"

"I slept throughout the night, Anakin. I cannot say, but I believe him."

Bail watched the three of them with a smile and said, "Maybe I should check on Breha with the children."

"I'll show you to the nursery, Bail."

They stood, and Padmé told Anakin and Obi-Wan, "You two get cleaned up. Obi-Wan, COMM Siri to assure her all is well."

"Is all well?" Anakin added with feigned surprise. "We are barricaded here. We could be twiddling our thumbs and staring at other for hours."

He glared at Obi-Wan once more. "And wouldn't that blow _your_ _wedding night_."

"Who is _smothering_ who now, Anakin?"

Bail looked back at them as Padmé ushered him through the dining room.

"This is probably not what Master Kenobi envisioned for a start to his wedding day, is it, Padmé?"

She sighed. "I presume he has not thought much about it. He never believed it could happen. At least that is what I tell myself to explain his buffoonery this morning."

"And Master Yoda has sanctioned this union?"

"Master Yoda is full of surprises, Bail. You'll see what I mean if we ever get away from here."

"This is going to be a great day for the Republic, Padmé. It is cause for great celebration."

"Let's see it finished first, Chancellor," she grinned, stopping in front of the closed door to the nursery. "Come. Meet the future Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic."

Bail beamed, "Which one, milady?"

"Time will tell, won't it? Come on."

In the grand room, Obi-Wan stepped out onto the veranda that also served as landing space to Padmé's apartment. He scanned the sunlit distance from 500 Republica to the tallest spire of Jedi Temple.

Anakin walked out to stand beside him. They both measured the perimeter, contemplating a variety of means to exit.

"If we could get a ship up here…"

"HoloNet is undoubtedly watching from below, Obi-Wan. As Bail pointed out, we would be followed."

Obi-Wan snapped a manual COMM from his belt and raised it to his lips. "Siri?"

Siri glared at her receptor on the table next to her hand.

"Come in, darling."

She swallowed the fruit in her mouth and picked up her COMM. "_Yes_?"

Obi-Wan cringed at the tone. "How are you?"

"Bored and wondering how long I am supposed to sit here. I noticed you found ways of wasting your time. How is your voluntary incarceration going?"

He flinched. "I can explain all of it, love."

"Obi-Wan," Siri called softly. "Master Yoda could contact us any moment now. What happens if you are stuck there? Honestly? What were you two thinking?"

"That will not be the case, Siri. I promise you."

"You are damn right it won't. Han is on his way over there."

As if on cue, Anakin's own COMM link buzzed and he brought his wrist up to his face. He stepped away from Obi-Wan. "Skywalker."

Han appeared to be sitting in the cockpit of his ship. "Hi, Ani. Siri and I saw what was happening on HoloNet. Need help?"

Anakin shook his head. "We appreciate the offer, Han, but you cannot breach the airspace right now. We need HoloNet's attention _away_ from here."

"Anakin, Senator Skywalker gave me specific instructions yesterday to take her to Siri today. Blondie ain't waiting patiently, sir."

"Padmé gave you instructions?"

"Yes, sir. She's supposed to help Siri get ready for the ceremony. Siri should be half way to getting her nails done now."

"Her what?"

"Your lady gave Siri a list of things to do. Siri is happily following it, but I gotta tell you, she is not so happy with you and Obi-Wan."

"Yeah," Anakin muttered, glancing back at Obi-Wan speaking animatedly into his mike. "I got that. How bad does it look on the news?"

"Like you're all teetering on the brink of a galactic incident." Han grinned. "You've really put your feet in it now. What can I do?"

"Hold off, Han. I'll get back to you in a minute."

"You got it."

Anakin left Obi-Wan alone to speak with Padmé.

"Do you understand what I have just explained?"

Obi-Wan glowered at his COMM. "Yes. It will be done. I will talk to Anakin."

She was not angry, but her tone bespoke of her radical impatience with him. Obi-Wan vowed never to motivate her to such a state again. She was downright mean when she was tense.

"Good. Thank you."

"I am sorry, you know."

"I know. We should have eloped."

"There is still time."

"It would break their hearts and you know it. Yoda and Padmé are working at something very special for us. It's just one day, baby. We shall endeavor for more patience."

"Very well. I will see you at Temple. I will be the besotted looking one in the formal robes."

"And, apparently, I'll be the unkempt one dressed shabbily unless we can get Padmé here."

"We'll take care of it."

"Fix this, Kenobi."

"Yes, yes. I will. I love you."

"Me, too. Tachi out."

Just like that, the signal was gone. Obi-Wan sighed and walked back inside the apartment. Anakin and Padmé returned to the grand room.

"We have an idea," Anakin declared.

"I'm all ears."

"We can bring the shield down over the veranda and allow Han to land," Padmé explained. "The children, Moteé and I can fly with him to Siri's."

Anakin added, "You and I can catch a ride with Bail and her Highness to Temple…"

"We will still be followed," Obi-Wan repeated.

"Yes, but we can take a convoluted route and maybe throw HoloNet off a bit."

"You can arrive at Temple by way of the third spire. Master Windu has undoubtedly put the shields up over Temple."

"HoloNet has Temple covered as well, milady. Do you remember the morning after the twins were born, Anakin?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Padmé rolled her eyes. "I think you two have had enough brilliant 'ideas' for the day."

"This is Siri's idea."

"Oh. Well, then. What is it?"

Obi-Wan refused to be insulted by Padmé's distinct assurance that his bride would be the one to rescue them not himself. "Anakin and I can provide a mild diversion."

Padmé pressed herself against Anakin's arm. "Like what?"

"Han can take you out. The Chancellor and the Queen can leave from their private platform, but Anakin and I…"

Obi-Wan made a smooth wiping motion across his eyes and down his cheek. It was a hand-signal Anakin recognized well, and he grinned his acknowledgement.

"Ah," he laughed. "That is freaking brilliant, Master."

Obi-Wan grunted, "Yes. A shame we were not the ones to think of it."

"_What_?" Padmé demanded. "He touched his face. What's that supposed to be?"

Anakin cupped her cheek. "It means, angel, that while you and the others evade the press, Master and I are going to step out to greet them."

Obi-Wan shrugged playfully, the smile coming back. "You have to give the people what they want."

"Are you serious?" Padmé goggled. "You are going to hold a press conference?"

"Of sorts, love," Obi-Wan chuckled. "With just the appropriate amount of trickery."

"And more than a little spiteful," Anakin laughed.

"No one will be harmed, Anakin."

"Least of all us."

"A critical objective."

"What are you talking about?"

"Milady," Obi-Wan bowed. "Trust us to repair our own damage."

"Yes, angel. We're good at it."

"You've had plenty of practice."

Anakin spoke into the link on his wrist. "Han."

The broken holographic image of the boy raised. "Yes, sir?"

"What is your E.T.A.?"

"Five minutes."

"I'll have the shield down, but be ready to move."

"Yes, sir. Solo out."

"I have to get the children ready!" Padmé protested.

Anakin kissed her. "I'll put all the necessary things in their bags. You gather what you need. Obi-Wan can manipulate the shield for Han."

"Then we can meditate on what we shall do next," Obi-Wan told him.

"After we wash up," Anakin replied to quell the dictate to do so before it could leave Padmé's lips.

"Come on, everyone!" Obi-Wan grinned. "We have a wedding for which to prepare!"

♥

"All together, children!" Master Dralig exclaimed from altar. "On my signal…"

He brought his hand up high in the air. The padawan younglings, in rows of two at a time, began stepping solemnly up the aisle. Their little hands imitated the sprinkling of imaginary flowers upon the floor as they made their slow ascent.

"Good!" Cin beamed with pride. "Very good, younglings. You are doing wonderfully."

Yoda watched their progress and was pleased. "Well you have done with their training, Cin."

"They are very excited about this, Master," Cin explained. "They may not comprehend the magnitude of the event, but they desperately wish to please Masters Kenobi and Tachi."

"Appreciate this, they will," Yoda assured him. "Lovely idea it was, Master Dralig, to do this for them. The like of it in the book I read."

"It is not a done deed yet, sir. How well they will do once it is truly time remains to be seen. The silk runner will be down on the floor and all the Order will be watching them. I hope they don't get stage fright."

"Superbly they will do. Dare to mock them, no one shall."

"Of course not, Master, but they are still children. And they really do wish to please."

"Then a certainty it is that succeed in their task flawlessly they will."

"What do you think, Master Windu?"

Mace kept his rigid stance, feet spread, and hands behind his back. His stony visage was impassive. "I think we now know more about silk, flora, fauna, and lace than we ever believed we would ever have to use."

The one thing left to do was tuck the aisle runner in place. The setting was complete for Obi-Wan and Siri's vows and to Cin, the Room of a Thousand Fountains had never looked more magnificent. He did not know if he had a romantic heart, but he knew he approved of the myriad stanchions of candles. The floral arrangements were breathtaking. The drapes of deep Jedi-blue bunting beginning from the upper gallery gradually thinned as it reached the four-points to the tops of the room, and there were swags of emerald-green veiling material curved and hung to connect to those points. The altar itself of engulfed with fragrant orchids and would be back lit with more groups of ivory candles.

"Master Yoda, it is splendid. You and our Jedi have done an excellent job," Cin told him. "No one on Coruscant could have done better."

Yoda nodded. "What I wanted, it is just."

Mace raised a brow." What _you_ wanted, Master?"

Yoda ignored that. "All ready it is. Contact Master Kenobi and Master Tachi. Begin in an hour, we will."

Mace bowed. "I will let the Council know as well. Cin, prepare the children and address Temple residents to dress in full Jedi regalia."

"Yes, Master Windu."

Mace walked away, his stride casual. Cin shook his head at his departing back. "I do not believe he approves of this, Master."

"Approve he does," Yoda opposed with confidence. "Moved by the sentiment and unwilling to show it is all. Happy, he will be once he watches them take their vows."

"And you are happy, sir?"

Yoda's eyes were liquid. "Indeed."

Cin patted his shoulder. "The Jedi transition into the mores of present-day Republic will begin poignantly."

"Begin they did with the birth of the Skywalker twins," Yoda corrected. "Display our affirmations of welcoming the changes this will."

"Masters Kenobi and Tachi will be overwhelmed by what you've done, Master, and Temple will be alive with many a joyous and emotional displays this evening."

"Embrace it tonight with pleasure I will."

Yoda began to leave the room for his own personal arrangements and added to no one in particular, "One does not know what calamity we may have to face tomorrow."

♥

"Kenobi."

Obi-Wan jumped on his COMM. "Yes, Master Windu."

"Temple is ready. The ceremony will begin in fifty-six minutes. You may begin your journey to Temple."

"Yes, Master."

"If you _can_. Windu out."

Obi-Wan pulled the sleeves of his robes down and turned to Anakin. "We must leave now."

Anakin grinned watching his master take a deep breath and slowly release it. He put his hand on his shoulder. "You ready?"

"More than ready." Obi-Wan closed his eyes.

Anakin copied him and their collected breathing evened out, their meditations uniting and an eerie silence came over the room.

Downstairs and just outside the main entrance to 500 Republica, facing the parked shuttles to the far left, Captain Typho put a finger to his ear and listened to the cue from upstairs to begin his proceedings. He addressed the relentless crowd of reporters that the Jedi would exit the building and answer all the questions they had to ask in a few moments.

A grim-faced Anakin and a weary-looking Obi-Wan stepped out the doors and were immediately set upon by the avaricious vultures. Once word had gone out that the public's two favorite Jedi were giving a press conference, drawing HoloNet from Temple and corralling the press already at 500 had been almost embarrassingly easy. HoloVids were pointed in their faces while the lights of bulbs made them flinch. The questions were shouted in rapid and salacious succession.

Captain Typho stepped in front of them and told the crowd to settle down, that the masters would take their questions one-at-a-time. There was no rush. Commander Skywalker and General Kenobi would remain as long as it was necessary to satisfy their curiosity. This interview would be seen all over the galaxy, and Anakin and Obi-Wan settled themselves into waiting chairs placed strategically on the walkway.

Typho pointed to a woman in front and the interrogation began.

Threepio peered through the view finder of the binoculars and exclaimed, "Oh dear!"

"What, Threepio?" the real Anakin asked, afraid their plan was failing.

"Everyone looks so close by," Threepio said in awe. He brought his hand out and waved it around as if expecting to touch a reporter.

"Threepio, focus," Anakin told him. "Please! What is going on?"

"They appear to be accepting your projection, sir."

"Anakin, we must go," Obi-Wan urged. "We do not know how much longer we can hold the Force downstairs. Bail is waiting on his platform."

"Let's run. Thanks, Threepio."

"You are most welcome, Master Ani. Good…!"

A burst of air swept the droid back against the railing as they Force-fled out of the apartment. Threepio pulled himself upright and sighed, "Luck to you, General Kenobi."

He stepped back into the safety of the apartment and looked around at the litter of dishes and miscellany proof of many guests and sighed, "Goodness."

Threepio began the process of restoring the home to rights.

♥

Siri sat in a chair in Obi-Wan's chambers. It was something she knew how to do. Every question Padmé had put to her was answered with uncertainty and helplessness. When her friend began issuing orders, Siri feebly followed. Padmé was clearly running this show, and all Siri could do was marvel at her.

Han had not left them at her apartment when he brought Padmé and the kids. He authoritatively explained that they would be safer if they simply went on to Temple. He had assured the women that Anakin and Obi-Wan would take care of HoloNet, but he was not going to take any chances with them.

So they had taken over Obi-Wan's living space and turned it into a staging area for the bride. Her friends at Temple had come by to wish her luck, but Padmé promptly shooed them away. She was kind and diplomatic about it, but she left no doubt that they must go away and stay away. She said something about not wanting anything to distort their vision of the bride before she was completely made ready. Siri was as confused as they but wisely kept her mouth shut.

Moteé was curling the ends of her hair with a hot iron, and she sat as still as possible afraid the rod would burn the fragile material of her slip. It was part of a set of silky underthings that were obviously created for visual effect than actual service. It was in the first box she had opened upon Padmé's command when they arrived. She had been made to strip down and put them on—a strapless brassiere and matching panties made of a lace so thin, Siri was nervous she would puncture the items with a newly-shaped and polished fingernail.

Padmé finished applying the blush to her cheeks and stepped back, sweeping the cloth off from Siri's neck and shoulders.

Pleased with her work, Padmé beamed, "Makeup's done!"

Siri's smile was a pasted one. Yes. The cosmetics. When Padmé had tossed the miniscule trunk upon the sleeping couch and declared what the contents were, Siri had nearly bolted from the room. She had never worn makeup in her life and knowing what Padmé and Moteé were capable with foundation, powder, mascara and lipstick, she was more than a little anxious. Padmé assured her that the dramatic artistry she had used as the Queen of Naboo would not be required.

That was true. Padmé's look had subdued considerably once she had become a senator.

"May I look now?" Siri asked shyly.

"Not yet, dear." Padmé walked around the chair and addressed Moteé kneeling on the floor and expertly twining Siri's blond locks around the iron.

"It looks marvelous, Moteé. How much more?"

"One more part, Mistress."

The twins sat in their matching hand carriages watching the proceedings with happy nonsensical gibberish. Padmé walked over to them and cooed for a moment before stepping over to peer in the full-reflecting glass she had made Anakin lug onto Han's ship. She had known there would not be an adequate mirror to be found in Temple.

Honestly, the Jedi's utter lack of vanity was inconvenient sometimes.

"You look lovely, Padmé," Siri told her.

Padmé frowned. She was unsure of her choice in gowns, but the color would disguise the twins' spit-up if it were to happen and could be wiped clean from the material.

"Her hair is finished, milady."

Padmé turned to pull the lid off the second box. "Stand up, Siri. It's time to put your dress on."

Siri stood. "My what?"

"Your bridal dress."

"I do not have a bridal dress," Siri replied, stepping over to the sleep couch. "I have my formal robes…"

Padmé moved aside the tissue and carefully lifted a silk and organza confection from the interior of the box. "You are _not_ wearing Jedi robes. You'll be donning those horribly drab clothes for the rest of your life. You are getting married. You are wearing a proper wedding gown."

She shook it out and the skirt skimmed the floor.

Siri stared at it in wonder.

It was beautiful.

Siri wet her lips, tasted lipstick. "You brought me a dress?"

Padmé turned to face her, holding the gown up against her. She smiled with hope. "Do you like it?"

Siri's fingers reached for the it, her fingertips smoothing over the delicate fabric. She had seen this dress in her meditation yesterday. She had not known then why such a vision came to her, but now she did. Padmé had been thinking about her, about _it_. Her friend had wanted to help give her a dream wedding and had thought about what kind of dress Siri would consent to wearing, what kind of design she would like.

She let out a giggle. "This is why Moteé was following me with measuring tape."

Padmé had the grace to look a little guilty. "Yes. But it was for a good cause. Please don't be angry for my lying to you."

"I am not angry," Siri whispered, tears springing to her mascara-lashed eyes. "I am grateful."

Padmé let out a breath. "So you like it."

"It's gorgeous. I am overwhelmed, Padmé. Thank you."

"Do not cry!" Padmé screeched. "You'll ruin your makeup."

Startled into sobriety by the vehement cry, Siri checked herself. "Yes, ma'am."

"Moteé, put the drape over her head so that her makeup won't get on the dress when we pull it over."

"Yes, milady."

"Aren't you worried about ruining my hair?"

"Put your arms straight up," Padmé told her, then answered, "No. We can touch up your hair, but if we had waited to do your hair until after you were wearing the dress, we would have risked wrinkling the dress while you sat."

Siri's voice was muffled by both the cloth over her face and fabric of the dress. "And we certainly could not have that."

"No, we could not."

Siri put her arms down once they had pulled the dress down and over her. The drape was pulled from her face. Moteé kneeled again to pull the skirt to the floor.

"It's the perfect length, Mistress," Moteé smiled with pride. "Once we get the heels on her, it will just skim the carpet."

Padmé adjusted the thin straps of the dress on Siri's shoulders and finger-combed the curled tresses of Siri's loose hair down her back. "Good, Moteé. Get the shoes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Heels, Padmé?"

"Yes, love. You could not very well your boots with this dress. Don't you agree?"

_Heels_, Siri thought with something akin to panic. "Padmé, I have never worn high-heeled shoes before."

Padmé stared at her in amazement. "Never?"

Siri had a sudden vision of teetering toward Obi-Wan and tripping over her gown, falling gracelessly face-first to the floor.

She groaned, "Oh, no…"

Padmé thought for a moment. "This is not a problem."

"I can assure you it is, Padmé. What if I fall?"

Padmé threw her shoulders back. "Listen to me carefully. You will not fall. You just pick your feet all the way from the floor. Do not shuffle. Focus on getting to Obi-Wan. Keep your gaze forward and your steps slow. Han is escorting you, right?"

"Yes."

"Then if you feel yourself start to slip, you keep your grip on him. Han will help you. He will hold you upright. Once you are at the altar, Obi-Wan will be there to keep you stationary."

"Altar?" Siri croaked. "As in _sacrificial_ _altar_?"

A giggle escaped from Moteé as she reapplied the iron to her hair. "Some people do view it that way."

Padmé merely smiled and held the shoes out. "Put these on."

"How do you know my size?"

Padmé bent to place the shoes on the floor. "I measured your boots outside the door of my guest suite last night."

Siri grimaced. "Oh."

Padmé straightened. "You should really be more careful of how you get about. It could have been Anakin to notice them instead of Moteé."

Moteé hid her laughter discreetly behind her hand. Padmé walked around her to pull on the back of the bodice.

"How did you know I would sneak in there?"

"I didn't at first." Padmé tugged then reached inside the bodice to lift Siri's breasts, ignoring her involuntary gasp of protest. "I went to bed with my husband, not at all pleased with the amount of time we have to wait to resume our marital relations, and I remembered what it was like to touch him and…I thought about when we were first married."

Padmé stepped around front again, and Siri noticed the wistful smile on her friend's face that always made her radiant. "Making love was all we ever did when we had time alone."

Siri glanced down to spy Moteé's reaction to such a personal subject and the handmaiden said nothing. She had no reaction at all. She just continued to lift the hem at the bottom of the dress.

"I could not keep my hands off him," Padmé revealed fondly, closing her eyes with memory. "He's so beautiful."

Siri smiled at her glowing face. "And you never have to hide your romantic worship of him again. Obi-Wan and I have you just as much as Anakin to thank for today, Padmé."

Padmé moaned with dreamy appreciation. "He's an incredible lover…"

Instead of appalling her, the statement made Siri laugh out loud. "Padmé, may I please, _please_, tell him you told me that?"

Sheepishly, Padmé demurred, "You mustn't embarrass him with it."

"I should think he'd be ecstatic over such a glorious compliment, milady."

"You don't understand, Moteé," Siri replied. "He has an infuriating streak of propriety that would stun you."

"Master Ani?"

"Yes, Master Ani. This is priceless."

"Siri, hush and put on the shoes."

Siri used Padmé's shoulder for something solid to hold. Her feet slid into the dainty shoes with ease. She was instantly three inches taller. She bounced up and down. "Huh. This isn't so bad."

"The heels are wide so you will not stagger. You just have to get used to them," Padmé told her, tapping a finger to her chin. "Walk some. Walk to the door and back."

"Okay."

Her first step was tentative, and Padmé repeated, "Focus your gaze ahead and be confident."

"I am not confident about this, Padmé."

"Fake it."

Siri straightened her posture and noticed that the shoes actually forced her to do so. She was so much more aware of herself than she'd ever been before, aware of her body and its movements.

"Hey! I'm doing pretty well."

"Yes, and you look lovely. Only…"

"What?"

"Maybe we _should_ pin your hair up. You could show everyone the back of the dress…"

This was the one thing Siri had been adamant about—her hair. "Padmé, Obi-Wan likes my hair down. I am wearing it down."

"Very well. Come back now."

Siri turned around, grinning, and began to walk back to Padmé but caught her reflection in the full-length mirror.

Siri gasped. Her hand flew instinctively to her stomach. "_Stars_…"

Stunned, she stepped closer to the glass. She stared at herself. The creamy-white dress hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair billowed down her back and shoulders with sweet curls at the tips.

It was her face that made her marvel. Padmé had kept her word and had not overdone it. Her eyelids were lightly shaded with a pale shimmering powder that along with the soft coat of mascara on her long lashes complimented the green of her eyes, making their color appear richer. The blush on her cheeks was natural looking, as if she had been out in cold weather for a few minutes. Her lips were glossy, but the shade of lipstick was a subtle rose.

She turned a little to get a look at the back of her dress. The elegant gown flowed perfectly down her legs to puddle at her heels.

Padmé moved to stand behind her. "What do you think?"

Siri was speechless. She had never known she could look this way. She had never felt more feminine. And _powerful_. She felt strangely powerful.

"I look like a woman," she reflected quietly. "I look like a normal woman."

"There is nothing 'normal' about you, sweetheart. But you have always been a woman—a stunningly beautiful woman—who happens to be a Jedi."

She turned to face Padmé and remembering the warning about the makeup, she cleared her throat against the rise of emotion. "Thank you."

She looked at her reflection again. "You think Obi-Wan will like the way I look?"

"General Kenobi will be very proud to call you his wife, Master Tachi."

"Thank you, Moteé."

"You are breathtaking, Siri. He will be humbled by you."

She found herself grinning. "Yes. I think he will."

There was an abrupt knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Padmé called.

"It's Han, milady. Obi-Wan and Anakin have arrived."

"Oh!" Siri exclaimed excitedly and smoothed her dress again.

Padmé stilled her movements with her hands. "Han, are they with you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then you may come in."

Padmé stepped over, deactivated the lock and the door slid open.

Han smiled, "Everyone is ready if you are."

"They are just in time," Padmé told him and stepped back to let him through, but he stared ahead of him.

Siri saw the surprised expression on his face from the reflection in the mirror. She flashed her mega-watt grin. "What do you think, kid?"

Han slowly looked her up and down. "You…You're wearing a dress."

He stepped further inside so that Padmé could shut the door. His throat visibly worked as he kept staring at her.

"Padmé brought it for me," Siri told him. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"You're wearing makeup."

She laughed. "You make it sound like it's a crime. Women wear makeup on occasion, Han."

"You're not a woman." It sounded stupid to even his ears, but he did not know what to say. Her appearance had startled him. He had always thought her beautiful but dressed this way, her face radiant with joy and her posture commanding his attention, she was striking.

He felt horribly tasteless in his own clothes. He had donned his best pair of pants and had pressed his best shirt and vest for this occasion. He had even polished his boots for her. He saw his reflection and noticed his rebellious hair still would not lay flat, and he automatically reached up to try smoothing it down.

Padmé noticed his expression and went to try to relax him. "You look very handsome, Han."

"I'm sorry I don't have a suit, Siri."

"Don't be." Siri turned around and pat his chest. "You look wonderful."

"So do you," he finally ground out. "You look…amazing."

"You ready to give me away?"

_No_!

"Absolutely," he told her.

Siri took a deep breath. "Okay! Let's go."

Moteé took Leia's hand-carriage and handed Luke's to Padmé.

"Han, please check the hall."

"There is no one out there, milady. I promise. Everyone is waiting downstairs. There are a couple of knights—Corcoran and Gurgeas, I think their names are—guiding people to their seats."

His boyish smile returned. He could not wait for Siri to see what the Jedi had done for her. He was only sorry he would miss Obi-Wan's initial response to it. "You should see the place, blondie. It's incredible."

Siri did not believe there much they could do to truss-up Council chambers, but she smiled, "I'm sure it is, honey. Let's go."

Padmé led the group out of the room and down the hall. She pressed the button for the lift. "When we get down there, Moteé and I will go ahead to the…I'll get Moteé settled in her seat with the children. Han, you and Siri don't move from the elevator bank until you see my signal."

"Yes, milady." He leaned to whisper to Siri, "A tiny dictator, isn't she?"

"You should have been me for the last few hours."

Padmé ignored them. The doors to the lift opened and they filed inside. She pressed the button for which floor destination.

"Remember, Han. When you and Siri get my signal and reach the doors, she slides her arm through yours on your left side. Your steps should be in synch, and left then right and again."

"Yes, milady."

Siri was amused. "We're just going to chambers, Padmé. Our steps are not going to require precision."

She looked at the call panel and frowned, "Council chambers are not on the ground level."

Padmé thought about how to tell her where the ceremony would be conducted. She regretted not already having done so. This would be tricky, knowing what she did about Siri's aversion to the room.

_Well_, Padmé thought, bringing Luke closer. _Better now than at the door._

"The ceremony will not be in Council chambers, Siri."

Not really caring about the location, Siri was cool. "All right. Where?"

Padmé told her as Han braced himself for Siri's reaction.

Siri did not yell. She did not curse. She did not lose her temper at all. She was too…frightened to say anything. It was foolish, she knew, to be frightened of a blasted room, especially one she frequented in Temple. It was the only place large enough to meet discreetly with Yoda about her missions without too many people noticing them. It was silly that her heart pounded in her chest at the notion of meeting Yoda in there again. It was ridiculous, really. It was just a room.

She closed her eyes and tried to center herself. She could feel her hand on Han's forearm shaking, and she felt him kindly place his over it to conceal the tremors from Padmé.

The last time she had met Yoda and Obi-Wan in that room had ended miserably. It was stupid to think on that now, considering she was absolutely going there to _marry_ the man, but the tension would not ease. It was a residual response to the terrible memory of the worst moment in her life.

She remembered all the times Obi-Wan had asked her to go in there with him over the years, just to talk, to just be his friend, and she had refused him every time. His motives had been innocent. He had not been thinking of the room. He had only thought that it was a quiet and peaceful place. He didn't harbor the resentment toward it that she had. After a while of her constantly denying him, Obi-Wan had given up on trying to rebuild their friendship, assuming she was not interested. She had let him. Being alone with him would have been painful enough but to be alone with him in the Room of a Thousand fountains? The site where her heart had been ripped from her chest? It was unthinkable.

Padmé continued to wait for a response with mounting concern. "Siri, are you all right?"

A bell chimed to indicate they had reached the ground floor and the elevator doors opened.

"Siri." Padmé handed Luke's carriage to Moteé. "Moteé, go on ahead. Tell Anakin we'll be there in a moment."

"Yes, milady."

She stepped out of the lift and walked away. The doors closed again, and Padmé said, "Siri, listen to me. This is your wedding day. Look at me."

Siri opened her eyes and noticed the look of stark distress on Padmé's face. "This is not twenty years ago. Yoda has gone to a lot of trouble to make up to you and Obi-Wan for what he dealt you that day. He has worked so hard, both last night and today. You will be so happy when you see it. Honey…he wants to make you happy. He chose that room to make his amends in the place he offended you. Can you understand that? You. Are. Marrying. Obi-Wan."

Down the hall and in the scene of Siri's anxiety, Anakin spotted Moteé and the twins from the door of the alcove and quickly walked over to the front row to assist her with the babies.

"Moteé, where is Siri?"

"The senator asked me to tell you they will be here in a moment, Master Ani."

Her voice was so glum, Anakin asked, "What's the matter?"

"Master Tachi seems a little reluctant to get out of the elevator, Ani. Milady told her where we were going, or I should say to what room, and Master Tachi sort of, well, stopped. I do not know what is the matter."

Anakin groaned as he belted Leia's hand carriage to the chair. "I was afraid of that."

"Milady and Mr. Solo are talking to her now. Will she be all right, sir? Is there something we should do?"

"No, Moteé. It will be fine. Siri has dreamed of these moments for most of her life. She'll be here." He secured Luke. "Padmé may have to prod her to this place, but she'll be here."

Luke squealed with pleasure at looking on his father. The sound echoed through the room, making the crowd of Jedi titter with humor. Anakin made a face for him, and he squealed louder.

"I'll play with you later, son, okay?" He kissed the boy's forehead and straightened. "I have to get back to Obi-Wan."

"How is General Kenobi?"

"Impatient. Keep your fingers crossed, Moteé."

Padmé grabbed Siri's other trembling hand solidly in hers. "Siri, Obi-Wan is waiting for you."

Siri snapped out of her state and took a deep breath. "I know. I know. I'm fine. Really. I'm ready to go. I want to get married."

She still shook, and Han told her tenderly. "I have been in there already tonight, Siri. Whatever nightmare you just had, you will not find it once you walk through those doors. I guarantee it."

"It's just a room," she muttered to herself. "And my love is waiting for me. Let's go."

Han pressed the door release and they walked out hurriedly. Padmé rushed ahead of them. Siri kept her gaze ahead, as she had been told, and concentrated on her steps—anything but her childish nerves.

She saw Master Dralig with the padawan younglings class waiting for them as well. All were dressed in their Jedi finery. This must be a very special occasion to them, too, as they wore there small lightsabers on their belts. Siri found her smile. They all looked so sweet and serious though they radiated excitement.

Padmé grinned at them. "Are all of you ready?"

Master Dralig spoke before they did, "Inside voices, children."

Their responses were quiet. "Yes, Madam Skywalker."

Han and Siri reached them, and Siri bent down. "And what is all this?"

The twenty children nearly imploded with enthusiasm at the sight of her. "Hi, Master Tachi!"

"Shh," Cin groaned. "Inside voices. Inside voices."

Siri chuckled, "Hello."

"You look pretty, Master."

"Thank you, Sylvestro. What are you doing standing out here, younglings? Don't you want to watch me and Master Kenobi?"

"They are on very special assignment, Master Tachi," Cin informed her. "Master Yoda has asked that the padawans litter your ascent up the aisle with flower petals. It is a very important task."

She nodded in understanding though she was clueless as to why Master Yoda would ask such a thing of them. "Yes, it is. Thank you, children."

Sylvestro held his basket up for her inspection. "See, Master? We're ready."

"You'll do splendidly."

"Wait!" A sprite-like little girl walked around her classmates to hand Siri and Padmé each a bouquet of orchids and calla lilies. Precious ribbons held the stems together. "These are yours, Master."

Siri took the bouquet with a murmur of gratitude, glancing at Padmé.

"You just hold them while you go up the aisle. I'll take them from you when it's time for the ring exchange," Padmé clarified.

"Ring exchange? I don't have any rings."

"It's taken care of." Padmé turned to the children. "I am going to open the doors now so all of you be very, very quiet, okay?"

They nodded in silence, and Padmé was proud. "Everybody line up."

Siri watched them form two lines and muttered to Han, "Why do I need a ring?"

"Because when people of a non-Jedi persuasion get hitched they wear rings to signify that they're off the market," Han told her, simply. "It's a tradition that apparently your brethren would like to adopt."

Cin fell in line behind the children and called quietly, "Remember, Mayam Kai—do not run."

"Yes, Master."

Han led her to stand behind Cin as Padmé opened the doors. She waved to a knight in the back corner, who in turn waved to someone in one of the upper galleries and music began to play.

Siri's eyes widened. She had the feeling that the limited-sized and intimate wedding she had thought of was…not.

"Han?" she whispered nervously.

"Yeah?"

"What am I about to walk into?"

His grin was mischievous. "Your wedding, blondie. Brace yourself."

"How many Jedi are in there?"

Han snickered as Padmé stepped into place before them.

"All of them," Han answered and laughed at the look on her face.

In the alcove, Mace straightened his posture and adjusted his collar when he heard the music start.

"It is time."

Obi-Wan reached to rip the door open, but Anakin snagged him. "Let Master Windu out first."

Anakin pulled on Obi-Wan's sleeves and picked lint off his master's robes.

Obi-Wan fidgeted as Mace left the room. He felt Anakin pull on the lapel of his tunic and looked down to watch him pinning a flower on it. "Anakin?"

"Yes, Master?"

"What, in the name of the Force, are you doing?"

"You are supposed to wear this."

Obi-Wan saw the flower Anakin had pinned on himself. "Why?"

"It's tra…"

"It's tradition," Obi-Wan finished, rolling his eyes. "Of course. How provincial of me."

Anakin pulled back and gave him another once-over. "You look nice. Oh, wait."

Anakin brushed off his shoulders and started plucking and pulling on him again until Obi-Wan couldn't stand it anymore. He knocked the hands away and spat, "Get off me!"

Anakin threw his hands up. "I'm sorry! I just wanted…"

"Anakin, I need to get out there. _Now_."

Anakin nodded and let out a breath. "Yes." He smiled. "You ready for this?"

Obi-Wan swallowed. "Yes."

Anakin stepped over to the door.

Obi-Wan called, "Anakin?"

"Yes, Master?"

"In case I forget later, thank you. For everything."

"My pleasure, Obi-Wan. Come on. Let's get you married."

Obi-Wan followed Anakin out of the alcove and rounded the corner into the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He stopped, surprised, when he got full view of the space.

It was nothing short of glorious. Thousands of lit candles illuminated the place, casting a rich golden hue to what looked to be the faces of every single Jedi of the Republic. The folding chairs were packed with them.

He noticed the intricate placements and arrangements of dozens of flowers, their sweet scents filling his nostrils as water lightly misted his face. He saw Anakin walk up a ramp leading to a newly-erected altar where he would stand under an orchid-bedecked arbor. Yoda stood on a raised platform to bring him level with the bride and groom.

Anakin realized that Obi-Wan was not behind him. He glanced at the younglings as they turned the corner from the back of the room to go up the aisle.

"Obi-Wan!" he hissed as casually as possible. "Get up here."

Obi-Wan walked up the ramp, and Anakin directed him to his cue. He looked at Master Yoda, who watched the children sprinkling the aisle with petals as they were instructed, with pride.

Touched beyond anything words could describe, Obi-Wan whispered, "This is extraordinary, Master. Thank you."

Yoda did not look at him but kept his gaze ahead. "You are welcome, Master Kenobi."

The congregation stood as the melody of the music changed. The guests turned to see Padmé take the corner.

Anakin smiled. She carried her bouquet high against her chest, her expression serene and focused. Her steps were long but in slow measure as she moved toward them. He knew this would be Siri's day but for Anakin, no woman would ever equal the beauty of his wife. Her features were cast in candlelight and she looked so much like she had to him on the day they had met and he had thought her otherworldly. She was a woman now, but he would forever be awash with tenderness at the mere sight of her face. His heart would continue to beat, and he would bow in praise to his existence only for her part in it.

A collective sigh from the people attending the service echoed in the room when Siri came into view. Obi-Wan followed their gazes, riveted on the sight of his love walking toward him, her arm looped through Han's and her features sedate.

"By the Force…" His whisper was a benediction.

She had decided against her Jedi robes and wore a slim column of sweet heaven that clung to her. She wore her hair down—undoubtedly because she knew he preferred it that way—and it curled in waves about her. But, _by the stars_, it was her face that struck him like a blow to his chest. She was moving closer to the altar, but he could see the way her eyes shined as she watched him. His utter adoration must have been evident for her lips curved in a smile—_that_ smile—that secretive, mysterious smile that never ceased to make him ache for her.

Obi-Wan would get to see that face, that smile every morning and every night from here on out. Everything that had ever happened to them before this moment –all the tragedy and muck— melted away and left him with such enthusiasm for what the future would bring he nearly leaped at her to get her to him faster.

He stepped down from the altar to wait in the aisle.

Padmé smiled at him as she stepped to his right, the left of the altar. Han stopped just short of him and wondered if he'd worn a similar expression when he had first seen Siri looking this way.

He glanced down at her, but she was totally focused on Obi-Wan. Her eyes narrowed some as she looked at her groom.

Siri whispered, "What happened to your mouth?"

Obi-Wan realized she was speaking to him and still captivated, he said, "It's nothing. I'll tell you after."

Siri saw Anakin grinning at her from over Obi-Wan's shoulder, his left eye slightly discolored and a bit swollen. Frowning, she let Han lead her up the three steps under the arbor and before Yoda. Obi-Wan would not let Han stand between them, turning in such a way that he faced his bride and kept his back to the Jedi Master.

Yoda raised his hands then slowly lowered them, signaling the guests to take their seats.

"Dear Jedi and Friends, gathered we are here tonight under the grace of the Force and with this company to witness the joining of this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony.

Give this woman away does who?"

Not sure if that was cue to answer, Han looked down at Siri for verification. She continued to stare unblinkingly into Obi-Wan's eyes, the couple in their own world at present.

He took a shot in the dark and said with false confidence, "I do."

Padmé leaned close enough to whisper to him, "Remove her hand from your arm and place it in Obi-Wan's."

Han nodded. "Right. Thanks."

He picked up her hand, dropped his arm, and moved awkwardly between them to do his duty. Silently, without breaking his stare, Obi-Wan reached out his hand, palm-up. Han placed her hand on Obi-Wan's and watched the Jedi's fingers clasp it.

"Thank you, Han."

"Sure. Go on, guys. Face Yoda."

"Before begin I do, share with you what I know of these two, whom I have known since they were brought here, infants rich with the Force."

Anakin and Padmé shared looks of wonder over the heads of the bride and groom. Surely, Yoda was not about to drudge the reasons for the delay to this event twenty years overdue.

"Siri Tachi, a woman who knows her own mind, she has been always. With her as your bride, Master Kenobi, shall never want, will you. Even as a child, she was the padawan to proclaim loudly and proudly that a Jedi must _do_ or do _not_. There is no try. Once set her mind on something she did, obtain it she would. Her mind no stronger than her heart. And her heart, always you have had. As her husband, Master Kenobi, trust you I do to nurture her faith in miracles, for making the impossible happen. Evidence of that here with us tonight. It is Siri's strength."

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly, and Master Yoda continued, "Master Tachi, in Obi-wan you have a solid basis for your future, an unwavering pillar of hope and of loyalty. His unshakable faith in the Force and his belief in the Light, his most admirable traits. Never touched by the Dark will you be with him at your side, Siri. Apply the privilege I do of building on his strong foundation, encouraging his hope and optimism for future generations of Jedi to come. His spirit is free, and with you I place the responsibility of ensuring it remain so."

Siri felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she smiled anyway. She squeezed Obi-Wan's hand and nodded to Yoda.

"Matrimony an honorable estate it is, instituted by the Force and therefore should not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly and _without_ fear…"

Gurgeas nudged Liam in the chair next to him and whispered, "Fear leads to the Dark Side of the Force…"

"Shh," Liam hissed. "I cannot hear Master Yoda."

"He lost me at 'discreetly'. Look around you. Does anything about this smack of discretion to you?"

"Be quiet, Jacen. I want to listen."

"Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If anyone there is here who can show just cause as to why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them now speak or forever shall they hold their peace."

Anakin and Padmé both turned from their stations and glared at their respective sides of the congregation as if daring anyone to object. Satisfied when everyone remained silent, they resumed their positions next to the bride and groom facing Yoda.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? To live together after Force ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, honor her, comfort and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

"I will," he pledged, his voice hoarse with emotion and his eyes moist.

Yoda smiled and turned his face toward the bride. "Siri Tachi, have this man to be your wedded husband, will you? After Force ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony live together? Will you love him, honor him, comfort and keep him in sickness and health and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

Siri could barely contain her joy and nearly choked on her tears. She made sure her voice carried in the enormous room as she vowed, "I will."

"The rings, please, may I have?"

Startled, the couple looked from Master Yoda to the best man. Anakin shrugged his shoulders, as confused as they were.

The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic took the small flat velvet box from his wife and stood from his seat.

"I have the rings, Master Yoda."

Padmé grinned as her husband, the groom and the bride turned to face Bail questioningly.

Bail bowed respectfully. "Gifts from Her Highness, Queen Breha of Alderaan." He grinned as he straightened and met Siri and Obi-Wan's wide-eyed stares. "And from me."

"Thank you, my lord," Obi-Wan bowed.

Padmé stepped down, Anakin following, to pluck the rings from their silky nest and return to the altar. They each placed them on the Journal of Whills under Yoda's hands.

"These rings signify, they shall, the unity of their spirits and that of the unbreakable bonds they share not only between themselves, but of their allegiance to the Force, their dedication of service to the Grand Republic and their fealty to the Supreme Codes of Law as Knights of the Jedi Order." Yoda handed one ring to Obi-Wan and the larger to Siri.

"On the fourth finger of the left hand place these rings on the each other."

They pushed the elegantly plain platinum bands over each other's fingers. Obi-Wan grasped her hands in his and turned to Yoda expectantly. Siri held her breath and waited.

Yoda looked from one to the other, pride softening his features, and said in as loud as he could. "Pronounce you, I do, husband and wife. May the Force be with us all."

Obi-Wan grinned widely as Siri burst with helpless joy, bouncing in place.

"Kiss your bride, Master Kenobi, you may," Yoda smiled.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Thank you, Master."

Crying, Siri cupped her cheeks in her hands. "It's done, baby. We made it."

"I love you," Obi-Wan whispered and leaned down to kiss her.

Siri, always thinking of him, avoided the sore spot on his lips and zeroed-in on the opposite side, her lips on his firm but tender.

The applause began softly at first. The lone claps were produced by the solitary man standing from his seat in the front row. Anakin turned to see who it was, and his grin widened more as he joined Master Windu in the start of a raucous ovation from the gathered Jedi that spread and grew deafening in the cavernous Room of a Thousand Fountains.

The kiss continued for several more seconds before they were forced apart to accept their congratulations and well wishes.

"Padawans!" Yoda exclaimed over the din of the crowd, "Move the seating and prepare the banquet tables!"

Obi-Wan chuckled and asked, "Banquet tables, Master?"

"For your reception, hmm? Eat, we must, do we not?"

"Whatever you say, Master."

Obi-Wan did not release Siri's hand as she bent to whisper in Yoda's face. "This was quite a show you've put on, Master."

"Happy are you with the results?"

"I've never been happier in all my days, Yoda."

"Perfect for you I wanted it, Siri. Your memories here, fond."

She kissed his wrinkled brow, her eyes alight with unshed tears. "Thank you for meddling this time, Master."

"Go," he told her, blushing. "Greet your guests."

They stepped down from the altar and were instantly surrounded. Obi-Wan's grin never left his face as he shook hands with his friends. After several minutes passed, he searched the group for the one he had yet to embrace. He turned back and saw Anakin standing off to the side, his eyes narrowed and scanning the room.

Obi-Wan could not break away from his guests to go to him. He wondered what Anakin was thinking as he watched his friend shoulder politely through the crowd, trying to cross the room.

Anakin had sensed him first, the essence unmistakable. He had remained at the altar for the vantage point when the ceremony had concluded and looked over the crowd.

His father was here. Anakin knew it. It was while everyone had converged on the happy couple that Anakin finally spotted Qui-Gon, partially concealed in the back of the room and next to a cluster of meditation fountains.

Anakin pushed through his friends as gently as he could, muttering for pardon as he did so. He could see the top of Qui-Gon's head over that of a topiary Jedi figure and several potted plants. He was pacing, not leaving.

Qui-Gon was waiting for him.

Anakin managed to get past the remaining revelers and within twenty-five paces of him. Qui-Gon stepped out the doors and into the Grand Hall. Anakin followed, waving the doors closed behind him.

Alone in the Grand Hall, Anakin faced him and the profundity of joy atop his already overwhelming exhilaration was immense.

Qui-Gon continued to pace, his arms crossed and his hands hidden in his sleeves. He looked nervous.

"It was a beautiful ceremony."

Anakin nodded slowly. He was not nearly as restless as the ghost before him. "I am glad you could see it. Obi-Wan will rejoice in knowing you were here."

"He is very happy. That is good. He and Siri have earned their happiness."

"I would think you would be more excited about these changes occurring for the Jedi."

"What makes you think I am not?"

"You look like you have been hit by a speeder."

Qui-Gon stopped pacing to look at him. "I am pleased. Of course, I am. It is time, Anakin."

"It is past time, Master."

"Agreed." Qui-Gon's stance relaxed, his shoulders slightly slumped. "I would not have missed this day for all the stars in the galaxy, Anakin. Please…Please say as much to Obi-Wan."

"I will." Anakin stepped closer. "I am glad to see you. I thought I heard you the other day but…"

"Anakin." Qui-Gon stared at him with intense gravity. "I swear to you. I was not aware of the depth of our attachment until after I had…"

Anakin waved off the forthcoming apology. Shaking his head, he replied, "I know. It's all right. You don't have to…"

"I would never have kept it from you," Qui-Gon persisted.

"I know that…"

Qui-Gon took a step forward. "And I would have never allowed you to be taken from me, Anakin…"

"You do not have to explain yourself, Qui-Gon…"

"I would have never permitted the Council or Tahl or anyone to take you away…"

"_Father_."

Qui-Gon abruptly shut his mouth and stared.

"It is all right," Anakin cried brokenly. "It is all right now. You…We cannot go back and change it. We have it now. You have me _now_."

For the first time, Anakin saw Qui-Gon's tranquil composure slip. His voice was gruff. "I never got to hold _my son_."

Qui-Gon choked and raised a shaking hand from the folds of his robes. "What I would give to be able to do that now."

Anakin grit his teeth and took a deep breath, tears leaking from his eyes. "One day, Father. The time will come."

"Your life is worth more than and is infinitely the best thing I could have ever accomplished, Anakin. I am so proud of you."

"I know. You did have a large part in my upbringing, Father. Whether you knew it or not. And your grandchildren will know it, too."

The smile that touched Qui-Gon's lips was brilliant. "My grandchildren."

"There is a question I must ask you."

"Yes?"

Anakin wiped his cheeks and said, "My mother. Where is Tahl?"

Qui-Gon looked away, but Anakin pressed, "Father, I must know."

"I cannot explain the reasons for her absence, Anakin. Perhaps because of what she did, she is afraid to meet you."

"You have not seen her?" Anakin asked, incredulous. "After everything the two of you went through…?"

"I did not leave her, Anakin. She left me. She has chosen to avoid me. Even in death."

"Father, you must forgive her."

"I forgave her long ago. But understand her motivations or her reasoning, I do not." Qui-Gon met his gaze again. "I loved her, Anakin. I do not comprehend what I did to make her so afraid of me."

"Find her. Find her, Father, and ask her. Maybe it was your compassion for her that she knew so well that did it. Perhaps she was afraid you could change her mind. She would not risk the wrath of the Council on you…"

"I would have rather had my wife and child, Anakin. I did choose the Jedi Path, but I would not have done so knowing you existed."

"I think you just answered your own question about her fear of you."

Anakin felt sorrow for his parents. So much had come between them that the depth of their love had become grossly distorted.

"Tahl deserves peace, Father. Give it to her."

Boisterous cheering from inside caught Anakin's attention. Qui-Gon sighed. "You should return to the celebration."

Anakin looked at him with contrition. "I have to go back. Obi-Wan and Padmé are probably wondering where I am."

Qui-Gon nodded acceptingly. "We will speak again soon."

"Think about what I said. Please."

"It is too late for your mother and I, Anakin."

To Qui-Gon's pleasant surprise, his son grinned at him.

"You can say that after what you have just witnessed inside, Father?" Anakin asked. His brow furrowed with mock reproof. "It is never too late for anything. We are all proof of that."

Anakin pulled the door open.

"Anakin."

"Yes?"

Qui-Gon cleared his throat and confessed quietly, "You mean more than anything else to me."

Anakin felt the weight of that comment seep into the marrow of his bones and sighed with consideration. "I love you, too. I'll see you."

Anakin walked back into the room and wound his way back to Obi-Wan. He tapped his shoulder.

Obi-Wan turned and asked, "Where did you go?"

"I had to step out into the hall for a moment."

"Everything all right?"

Anakin clasped his shoulder and squeezed. "It is perfect. Congratulations, Master."

Obi-Wan pulled him into his embrace. "Thank you, Anakin. I could not have done it without you."

Anakin clapped his back and squeezed. "Listen."

He pulled back. "I have a message for you."

"Oh?"

Anakin glanced around at everyone standing so close and within earshot. All he said was, "An old friend sends his regards and…his hearty congratulations."

Obi-Wan's brow raised. "Who?"

Anakin whispered into his ear, and Obi-Wan reared back. "He was here?"

"He said to tell you he would not have missed it for all the stars in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan swallowed, accepting it as best wedding gift he received after the act of marriage itself. He looked at Anakin again. "And all is well with you?"

Anakin nodded. "Yeah. It's good."

Siri fell against Obi-Wan's back and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her chin atop his shoulder and grinned at Anakin. "Hey, Ani. Aren't you going to kiss the bride?"

Anakin laughed as Obi-Wan settled back against her and said, "Why not? Everyone else here has."

Anakin took her hand and danced her around her husband to take her into his arms. "Congratulations, Master."

"Thank you, sweetheart" She twined her arms around his neck. "I seem to recall you holding me like this once before."

"I remember," Anakin chuckled. "A fond memory it is, too."

Anakin tilted his head and was leaning down to her chastely kiss her smiling lips when she was abruptly yanked from his embrace. Obi-Wan held her to him as she laughed.

"I remember it, too, now," Obi-Wan sneered, and Siri laughed harder.

"I was one kiss a long time ago, Obi-Wan."

"You keep your lips on your own wife."

"With pleasure." Anakin bowed with flourish. "I am good at it, as Padmé will attest."

"She does attest to it," Siri leered. "And everything else you do to her…So she tells me."

Anakin stared at her, a blush heating his cheeks. Obi-Wan laughed, "Interesting!"

Without another word, Anakin went to find his wife.

Dinner was a sumptuously long affair. The Jedi cooks had outdone themselves with a preparation of a six-course meal that was by far the most edible and savory of anything else they had ever prepared. It seemed cooking for formal dining was more enriching for the chefs than their standard fare of oatmeal and other mundane foods.

A tall, eight-tiered cake was wheeled out after dinner was finished. Padmé graciously explained to the party that the cutting of it was another tradition for the bride and groom. When at first the knife could not be found to do it, youngling Sylvestro had selfishly volunteered his lightsaber to the task, but alas, Padmé produced the knife. The children were the first served the confection as sweets were normally forbidden them. As with everything tonight, they would have their indulgence.

Champagne flowed generously. The best man had toasted the couple. Anakin had been followed by his wife in doing so, who was proceeded by a very long, very sober speech from Master Yoda on the subject of attachment and Jedi Code. The Masters Kenobi finally toasted and thanked their guests for a multitude of things. All the while, champagne continued to be poured and sipped.

Gurgeas leaned forward to pour another glass.

"More of us should get married," he smiled. "It provides such wonderful beverages."

"Remember your disciplines, Jace," Liam said. "Champagne dulls the senses."

"If the Kenobis can have their 'marital' relations, I am allowed to imbibe as much of this bubbly that I like."

"Point taken." Liam poured himself another glass.

The orchestra had kept the music lively, and the Jedi used their finely tuned culture skills to dance and dance and dance. Even Master Windu appeared to relish the experience as he had yet to leave the makeshift dance floor since the tables had been cleared and moved. Siri was currently being swung energetically between Knights Gurgeas and Corcoran while Obi-Wan placidly waltzed with Moteé.

The Skywalkers each held one of their children, swaying to the music, and talking to Han in a relatively quiet corner.

"I see you have made some new friends tonight," Anakin teased and pointed to the group of female padawan learners staring at them and giggling behind their hands. "I think you have acquired a few admirers."

Always one to give as good as he got, Han retorted, "How do you know they are not ogling _you_, Commander? You know how HoloNet refers to you, don't you?"

Padmé turned her face away to hide her laughter as she supplied diplomatically, "'The Hero With No Fear'?"

Han shook his head and grinned at Anakin's visible unease. "The Hero With the Handsome Face."

Padmé laughed out loud then, but Han was not finished. "Your husband made quite a scene when he arrived at the Senate the other day, milady. Women were swooning and dropping like flies when he stepped out of his ship. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes."

"All right, Han. That will be all," Anakin pleaded, adjusting Luke's sleepy head against his shoulder.

Siri breezed over to them. Winded, she collapsed into the chair next to Padmé and rested her head on Padmé's free shoulder. "I am exhausted."

"Well, you look incredible," Padmé said, leaning close to her so Siri could coo to Leia.

"Thanks to you." Siri kissed her cheek. "You're a good friend."

Obi-Wan sauntered back with Moteé on his arm. She curtsied. "Thank you for a lovely dance, General."

Ever the gentleman, Obi-Wan bowed. "My pleasure, miss."

He walked over to stand before his bride and stroked her hair. "What about you, darling? You ready for another go-round?"

Siri brought his hand to her cheek and kissed his palm. "I can't. My feet are killing me."

"Take the stilts off," Han suggested.

"I did, boy," she whined. "Just before Jacen spun me out of control. Let me catch my breath, baby. Then I'll go right back out there with you."

Obi-Wan bent to kiss her. "All right." He straightened, filled with more energy than he ever thought to expend, and inquired, "Milady Skywalker. We have yet to trip that light fantastic together. May I have the honor of this dance?"

Padmé had danced with Anakin several times earlier, but those were slow and romantic. It was beautiful, she was not complaining. But the spirit of the evening will all the ramped celebration going on made her want to join in on the highly-charged jigs and quadrilles.

Enthusiastic, she kissed Leia's cheek, and asked Siri, "Honey, would you mind…?"

"Oh, I would love to!" Siri took Leia's tiny form into the crook of her arms. "Hello, pretty girl."

Anakin grinned as Padmé nearly dragged Obi-Wan back onto to the dance floor. "Have fun!"

Siri adjusted the baby's frilly pink dress and turned her to face the crowd. "Look, pumpkin. There's your mommy and Uncle Obi-Wan."

The child's big brown eyes were not looking ahead, but at the tall young man standing next to her father.

Han had never been around babies. Everything he had ever heard about them led him to believe they were noisy pests, but the Skywalker twins behaved with all the calm and serenity expected of fully-aged Jedi. They were exceptionally well-kept. The boy, Luke, had yet to make a sound other than a laugh. And the little girl, well, she was…

Staring at him.

"What's the matter, kid?"

"Leia."

Siri frowned and looked down at the baby. "What? Did she spit up?"

Anakin knelt at Siri's feet to peer at his daughter. "What is it, princess?"

Leia gurgled so playfully her little rosebud lips formed a bubble, but her eyes never left Han.

Anakin straightened and nudged him. "Oh, look. You have a new member of your fan club."

"Commander," Han groaned, and Siri watched them and asked, "What's going on?"

Anakin nodded to his right. "Those padawans over there have a crush on Han."

Siri looked to her left and laughed as the girls caught her expression and quickly dispersed. "Hah! That's great, Han. Why don't you go ask one of them to dance?"

He looked pained and answered with the arrogance of youth, "They're not my type."

Anakin scoffed, "How is that?"

"They're Jedi."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"Siri says I'm a scoundrel. Jedi don't dance with scoundrels."

"I have danced with you twice tonight, young man."

"That's different. You're, like, my sister."

Anakin was still grinning over the title of 'scoundrel'. "And a scoundrel is bad, right?"

Siri sighed. "I explained to Han that he cannot juggle girls like he would rubber balls. There was a week, very recently, where the Casanova here had two rather…_determined_…young ladies—and I use the word loosely—in hot pursuit of him. I told him that he would never expect to find a decent, kind woman if he stays on the path he is."

Han and Anakin shared a look of kinship. "I told her that since I'm never getting married, I hardly have to censor my behavior now in the hopes of roping in a wife."

"Why do you think you will not get married, Han?"

"It's simple, Ani. I _enjoy_ being a scoundrel."

Anakin bent to place the sleeping Luke in his hand carriage and let Moteé strap him in it. "Scoundrels wed too, Han."

Han scowled with disbelief. "No, they don't. Name one."

Anakin turned back to him and replied, "Me."

"Oh, please," Siri mocked. "You are hardly a scoundrel, Ani."

All innocence and wealth of knowledge, Anakin put his hands behind his back and took a serious posture. "I actively, willfully pursued a woman when I knew romantic attachment was adamantly forbidden to me at the time. I did not care. I went after her any way."

Siri thought about that for a moment and conceded, "Okay. You may have a point on that. But you are still good and kind and…"

"Nevertheless," he continued. "There was a bit of scoundrel there."

"Please don't encourage him, Ani," she begged.

Anakin clapped Han's back once with affection. "Do not let her sucker you, Han. There are plenty of good and decent women in the galaxy who love a good scoundrel. Just ask my wife."

Han was listening to him but was still fascinated by the way Anakin's daughter was looking at him. Leia was just a baby, but her avid stare made him feel like she could see into and comprehend the depths of his polluted soul.

"So you see, Han. Scoundrel? A plus."

Tentatively, Han wiggled his fingers in a small wave to the infant. Leia immediately giggled and flailed about so excitedly in Siri's lap that he had to reach for her to still her tiny legs and keep her from sliding.

Siri caught her instinctively, but as her hand brushed Han's against the baby's jerking limbs, she was assailed by a vision so strong and potent, she gasped.

Misunderstanding the reason for the sound, Anakin said softly, "She's fine, Siri."

Siri, floored by the image of this child and her boy in the future, smiled with graceful pleasure.

"She's okay, Siri," Han muttered and stepped back. He looked bewildered, keeping his eyes on Leia.

Siri looked from him back to Anakin. She could not resist. "A scoundrel is a plus, eh?"

Anakin grinned. "Patently."

"So you have think Han should make no changes in his lifestyle when it comes to courting?"

"Aw, for stars' sake, Siri…"

"I got this one, Han. No. He's young. Let him do what he wants as long as he takes the necessary precautions and doesn't seek to deliberately hurt anyone else." Anakin spared him a glance. "Yeah, that's important."

"I understand, Commander."

Siri glared at Anakin with just a tinge of gloating. "A day may come, old friend, when I, reserving the right to do so now, will _remind_ you of _everything_ you have just said to him."

"Be my guest," Anakin challenged.

Siri chuckled with her secret and bounced Leia on her lip.

An hour later, the bride and groom were getting more than a little impatient to exit the party. They swayed together to a soft melody. Obi-Wan gently rubbed his hand up and down her back, and she pat his chest with her hand in rhythm with the dreamy tune.

"This, I have to say, has been the best night of my life," he told her, his lips against her temple.

Siri burrowed closer. "Easily, but, Obi-Wan?"

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her head. "Yes, love?"

"I'm exhausted," she cried, tilting her head to press her lips against his neck. "I'm ready to go home."

He reared his head back and looked around the room. All their friends were still there though the party had calmed. The sounds of laughter could still be heard, and everyone looked so happy that Obi-Wan did not know how to broach the topic of their exit.

He spotted Anakin and Padmé dancing close by, looking as tired as he and Siri.

"Come, darling." He held her hand and led her to their best friends.

Obi-Wan tapped Padmé on the shoulder. "Milady."

"Hi."

"Padmé, Siri is tired. When can we leave?"

Padmé looked taken aback. "Obi-Wan, we have all been waiting for _you_ to leave so that _we_ can go home."

Siri frowned. "What do you mean?"

Anakin explained, "The guests must remain until the bride and groom leave. It's a trad…"

"Tradition," the Kenobis groaned.

"Wonderful, Anakin. With all your spouting of traditions for the last twenty-four hours, this one you fail to mention. Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Because if he had, you would have escaped with Siri home as soon as you were pronounced husband and wife," Padmé replied knowingly.

"I would not!"

Siri gave him a look, and Obi-Wan muttered, "All right. Perhaps I would have."

"Padmé, is there anything else, any other tradition we must complete before we go?"

Padmé nodded and took her hand. "Come on. You're going to toss the bouquet."

"Toss the bouquet?"

"Just wait here with Anakin, Obi-Wan. This won't take long."

Padmé and Siri stepped up to the altar. Siri picked up her abandoned arrangement of flowers as Padmé spoke out.

"Everyone! If I may have your attention." Padmé waited with a gracious smile as guests turned to face her. "There is one last tradition to be carried out before Siri and Obi-Wan begin their new life together—the tossing of the bouquet.

Siri will stand up here, with her back to all of you, and throw her bouquet back. Whomever catches it is, symbolically, the next person to wed. So without further fanfare, if we could just get all the single…"

Padmé remembered the audience she was addressing and corrected herself. "If we could just get _all the women_ to stand in a group, right down there in front of the altar, we can end this evening on the high-note for which it began."

Siri chuckled watching Bant and Shaak-Ti forcefully pulling Aayla front and center with them. Women approached from all four corners of the room, navigating around the myriad of fountains more from curiosity than interest. Their expressions ranged from quizzical to total befuddlement.

Padmé sighed. _Poor things_.

"Okay, ladies," Siri breathed, holding her flowers aloft. "Who wants it?"

"On the count of three!" Padmé proclaimed.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were joined by Master Windu just feet from the commotion.

"Has this bridal theory been proven?"

Anakin laughed. "You're asking _us_?"

Mace grunted and resumed his usual stance. He swayed a little against Obi-Wan.

"Are you all right, Master?"

"I am well, Obi-Wan. The champagne…I may have had a bit more than I thought."

"It's almost over, Master," Anakin said. "Then you can go straight upstairs to bed and sleep it off."

"Yes. Yes, that may be a good idea."

Siri turned her back to the room. "One, two…_three_!"

Her arm shot up and the clamor of the women only then rose. Hands grasped high over their heads as the bouquet sailed fast through the air, swooping into an arc and…

Hitting Master Windu square in the head. There was a gasp, and Siri turned to see the recipient. She burst out laughing and put her hand over her mouth. Padmé was more discreet and simply turned away from the scene to chuckle.

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked from their master to the flowers on the floor then at each other. Obi-Wan pressed his face into Anakin's shoulder to hide his laughter, and Anakin was forced to look at Mace without breaking into fits of humor. "Congratulations, Master."

Mace quirked a brow, unfazed by the floral heap at his feet.

Obi-Wan stroked his chin thoughtfully as he composed himself. "Perhaps this means you may _choose your bride_ tonight."

Mace did not share his amusement. He bent to retrieve the cluster, but it was Force-pulled out of his reach.

And into Aayla Secura's hands.

"Oh!" Anakin chortled. He and Obi-Wan leaned on each other, laughing till they were snorting with it.

Mace slowly straightened, his gaze fixed on the Master standing six feet away from him, an unusual smile on her face.

Mace suddenly felt like a bantha caught in a steel-trap.

"Yes, well…" He cleared his throat. He turned around and adjusted his robes, missing Aayla's crestfallen look. "Goodnight, gentlemen."

He stalked away quickly, and Anakin called, "Aw, come back, Master!"

Siri grinned and exclaimed, "That's it, everybody! Thank all of you for coming and putting this together for my husband and I. Thank you so much!"

Obi-Wan walked over to assist her down the steps. Padmé stepped past him and into Anakin's arms.

He hugged her. "Let's go home."

"I'll go get Moteé and the babies."

"Wait, milady."

Yoda, who had spent most of the reception at the Masters' table, made his way to the foursome leaning wearily on his gimmer stick.

"A photo of the wedding party we must have," he told them.

"I think that would be heavenly. Siri?"

"Yes?"

"Before you go, Yoda wants a picture of all of us."

"Okay. Where would you like us to stand, Master?"

"Up, at the altar. Anakin, bring the twins over please."

"Of course, Master."

Obi-Wan took the place he had earlier. Siri stood at his side, facing him, as Padmé thrust her matron-of-honor bouquet into her hands.

"Stand between the bride and groom, I will. Madam Skywalker, take this chair and set it here to Siri's right. Hold your babies in your lap, you should."

Once she was settled, Anakin brought Leia up for her, and Han brought Luke.

"Anakin, stand beside Siri and behind your wife you will."

Anakin positioned himself there and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"Young Solo. You will stand next to Obi-Wan."

"Yes, sir."

"Would you like me to snap the picture for you, Master?"

"Wonderful that would be, Bant. Thank you."

Their diminutive leader pushed himself up the shallow steps and righted himself into place. As Bant brought the HoloCam up to her eye level, Anakin's focus found the ghostly image of his father in the watchful crowd.

Qui-Gon smirked righteously as a dark-haired woman stepped into view beside him.

_Tahl_.

His parents looked at the couples and Yoda on the altar, their faces expressing their joy and reverence. Anakin did not require the prompt from Bant to do so when she said, "Smile, everybody."

The image of the motley but contented group was then forever captured for posterity and for recording in the Archives with the simple caption to headline, '_The Jedi Change'_.

**THE END**


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